


A Coming Out Story

by Yooney



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Anal Sex, Biphobia, Blow Jobs, Cheating, Cuckolding, F/M, Facial, Harem, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, Military, Netorare, Pissing Scenes, Psychological, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-02-09 11:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 32,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12887010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yooney/pseuds/Yooney
Summary: Midgar is the city of gays. Cloud realizes this only after moving there and has to adjust to a new kind of normal. His once predictable and ordinary life is now filled with denial, lies, and sexual desire. It's a constant internal struggle all derived from one man, the very man who had been anticipating his every move since long before they had ever "met". Yaoi/Psychological





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey Cloud, you remember Zack and Sephiroth?” Tifa yelled all the way from the living room at the other end of the apartment. 

The blond was in their bedroom, getting dressed and attempting to do his hair at the same time. “You’ve been friends with them ever since you played tour guide that time they came to Nibelheim. Of course I remember them. How could I not?” Cloud said as if he had been regaled by the story many times before. After that mission, Tifa had somehow remained in touch with Zack and then with Sephiroth once she started working in the ShinRa building.

The voluptuous brunette chuckled to herself and remained quiet for a moment. 

“….So, what about them?” Cloud asked, suspicious. Of course he knew of the two men, but he did not know them personally. 

Before answering, she tiptoed into their master bedroom. “I kinda invited them to our housewarming party.” What she forgot to add was that she invited them along with anyone else they wanted to bring with them. She knew how Cloud hated parties, especially the kind that involved celebrity military figures, the requirement to be social, and a large crowd of people he didn’t know. After having asked her partner to do so many things that required him to be out of his comfort zone, Tifa felt as though she might be pushing it a bit by adding on the two SOLDIERs and all their friends. But she knew that it wouldn’t have been a real housewarming without them. Cloud and Tifa had just gotten their first apartment in Midgar. What a better way to celebrate than with legendary, illustrious SOLDIERs? 

Though her boyfriend was uncomfortable with this arrangement, he had decided to let her throw the party. A part of the reason why he agreed, was because she would have likely gone through with the get-together anyway whether he liked it or not. The next reason was because he just wanted her to be happy. Lastly, he knew things would be better off if they both put in mutual consent on matters and events involving their new shared home. 

Even so…Cloud grew irritated at the mention of her last minute confession and stopped everything that he was doing. “…Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because…I know how you are. You get so weird about parties. You’re antisocial and you don’t like to meet new people. But since they’re my friends, I thought it would be best that you met them. …I waited until now to tell you the news so that you didn’t have time to come up with some lame excuse to back out on the party.”

Cloud gave it a bit of thought. Tifa hit the nail right on the head. She knew him sometimes better than he knew himself. 

She then spoke again, “I had to invite them, Cloud….They are the reason why I’m even here. Sephiroth got me a front desk job in the ShinRa building. He recommended me himself. And Zack always comes to check up on how I’m doing. Staying in touch with them has opened up so many doors for me…for us. I would have been betraying our friendship if I didn’t insist that they come.” A minute had gone by with no form of response from the other. Worried by the sudden silence, Tifa came up behind her lover, where the blond was stationed in front of a long mirror on the back of their closet door, a deadened look on his face. “Is it so bad that I invited them?” She came a little closer.

Light blue eyes remained staring distantly into the mirror. “I’m going to be a part of the military soon… When that happens, Sephiroth will be my General. I’ve never met him before, but I think it might be awkward having him here. It’s different for you because the two of you are close friends. He’s… my superior.” This was by far a better explanation than: he simply hated being in a position where he was forced to carry conversation with strangers. 

Tifa propped her hands on her hips and gave a displeased scoff. “And here I thought you might also have been jealous about me inviting two attractive SOLDIERs to our home. You were only thinking about yourself all along.”

The blond furrowed his brows, yet reacted calmly, “That isn’t true. It’s difficult for me knowing that you have mostly male friends and you have this long list of men you plan to invite to the party…plus those two. I don’t know, Tifa… maybe you need some girl friends to balance things out.”

“Balance? Is that the only thing you’re worried about? Aren’t you worried that they might fall for me and I could… cheat on you….?” She asked in a taunting manner to conceal how fragile her true feelings were.

“I didn’t want to go there, but yes, sometimes it crosses my mind. You are my girlfriend, and a very beautiful girlfriend at that. I see the way men stare at you. But it’s not like there’s anything I can do about that. I can’t control you or hide you away from everyone. I would rather you have freedom. If that means that most of your company besides me is made up of men, I have to deal with that. And if you do decide to break up with me, then I won’t try to stop you if some other man makes you happier.”

“You really have no faith in me, do you? Or is it that you don’t have faith in yourself?” 

He sighed, “I’m just being realistic. It could happen. If it does, I’m not going to be some spiteful, macho, controlling, vindictive tool about it. Even as the man who loves you, I just want you to be happy no matter if you’re with me or someone else. I’m lucky that you chose me and stuck with me this long. Even though I’m…lacking.”

“You don’t get it… I WANT you to get jealous. I want you to act possessive! I want you to be mad for once Cloud!” 

“Fine….” That was when the blond took her by the arm and threw her onto the bed, thick sheet rising up to swallow her dainty figure whole. Cloud pounced on top of her, mouth drawing close to her own. There was a predatory look in his eyes. “You belong to me.” His fingers coiled around her jaw, gripping it tight, but not enough to hurt. “I won’t allow you to invite so many men to our home.” The comment felt and sounded unnatural, certainly out of character for Cloud. It was as if this big macho role Tifa wished for him to play was solely comprised of insecurities, a man who in reality felt puny on the inside with no amount of confidence. It was a man who wasn’t emotionally capable of handling his woman being around any other man at all. This was a weak, egotistic, aggressive man that Cloud was not.

Before Cloud could adlib further, the girl under him had begun to burst into laughter. “I’m sorry! I just can’t take you seriously! Hahahahaha!”

The blond didn’t think that it was very funny. He was just trying to appease her. His finger unclenched her delicate jaw. 

“Nice try though… Hahaha… You cared enough to try. I like seeing that you care.”

“Of course, Tifa.” 

“But…there’s this one thing I forgot to tell you… Actually, most of my guy friends are gay. All my really close friends are…so you have absolutely nothing to worry about after all!”

“Gay? What kind of game are you playing? You had me all jealous for nothing. I actually hadn’t been worried about it until you brought up the possibility of them having feelings for you.” Cloud got up from his position on top of her and sat on the edge of the mattress. 

“Oh, brighten up. It was just a test.” She sat up, leaning back on her hands. 

“…So, did I pass?” He asked with a touch of indifference.

“Yes! You really do care about me!” Tifa said in a chipper mocking tone. 

“I’m surprised you doubted after all this time. And after I decided to move in with you and start a life.” He had also agreed to let her pay the rent until he received his payment from The ShinRa Military. It was against his nature since he was supposed to be the man, the bread winner, but he compromised his own pride just to satisfy her. After she had already gotten her job and settled down in the apartment, Tifa nearly begged him to move in rather than wait until the date came when he was scheduled to start his own career. Cloud wasn’t even scheduled to enter the ShinRa establishment until tomorrow and he wasn’t sure when he would be paid his monthly stipend just yet. 

“Sometimes, a girl just needs a little reassurance.”

A grin formed on his lips, “I thought that I gave you reassurance like every other night, sometimes in the morning.” 

“Oh, that doesn’t count. Guys have sex with girls they don’t care about all the time!”

“Well, how about we make love? I bet you’ll be more than reassured when we’re through….” Like before, he climbed on top of her, only this time he had done so in a sensual, slow manner with a sultry smirk on his face. 

Tifa put her hands up to stop him from progressing. “Wait…stop…! We have to finish preparing for the party!”

-.-.-.-

 

“Tifa and I have been together for four years now. We finally moved in with each other. Yeah, it’s expensive to live here in Midgar, but it’s the only place to be if you want to make a real living. Back in Nibelheim, college was never really a big thing, so the moment Tifa and I graduated from high school, we decided to go get jobs. And we did, only those jobs didn’t pay much at all…well, enough so that we could move out of our parents’ houses. One day we came up with a plan. Our plan was for the both of us to move to the City Midgar and make a living. The end result was that she had gotten a job as a receptionist and I had gotten accepted into the military. She never told me the two SOLDIERs were the cause of that though. Ever since before we had even gotten together as a couple, she would tell me about these SOLDIERs she had become friends with; Zack and Sephiroth. I’ve never met them before, but since we moved here, I’ve had a feeling that they are going to be a big part of our life now.”

 

-.-.-.-

Since Cloud never had a housewarming or hadn’t so much as attended one, he tried his utmost to help out his girlfriend prepare, which meant, doing exactly what she instructed him to do. At the moment, he was carrying a box an arm’s length long into the walk-in closet inside their bedroom. Tifa told him that no unpacked boxes could be seen by the guests, so he had to get them all out of sight. Just when he entered their room, a display only a few yards away from their apartment building caught his attention.

Why, the buildings in Midgar where so close to one another, that it was easy to look straight into another’s home, their kitchen, living room, things, family, and their business. What Cloud took in wasn’t anything he would have expected to see taking place like a couple or family eating dinner or watching TV. It was the sight of two young men passionately kissing each other. Though the city was rather dim, the scene was as plain and clear as if it were taking place in the same space as he. 

At first, the blond looked on with one eye, a rather nonchalant, casual gaze, as if to merely acknowledge what the two men were so noticeably doing outside and directly parallel to his bedroom window. He set the box down in the closet and, oddly, he came back out with a stronger desire to watch. He neared the window and ducked low to the floor, so that only blue eyes and yellow spikes were poking up beyond the base of the window. Cloud wasn’t one to eavesdrop or spy. He never cared enough about other people’s business to go that far. Yet, for some reason that was beyond his understanding at that point in time, he couldn’t take his eyes away. He’d never seen anything like it before. Two men caressing one another… How did they do it? What was going through their minds? How did it feel? It was such a different way of life. Cloud wondered how two guys with the same things could be so deeply engaged in each other’s body to the point where even an engaged man such as Cloud was eager to see how it unfolded. 

Yes, he was engaged. It happened just the day before. He made his girlfriend a romantic dinner, lit candles and ran her a nice bath before he proposed to her. She said yes and they had sex, or rather, made love, all night. His reason was that Tifa was the only woman he could see himself with, he cared deeply for her, loved her unconditionally, they had been together for four years and they now lived with each other…. The next move after that was marriage, so why wait? He wasn’t going to string such a great woman like her along. He wasn’t going to let another man marry her, even though if she found someone else, he’d let her go. Presenting her with an engagement ring was the obligatory thing to do. Of course, they weren’t going to tie the knot anytime soon. He needed to make more money so that he could take care of her, pay for the wedding and even buy her a better wedding ring. So many things were in the way of that particular course of action, but getting engaged put the leap of commitment in her mind and that big smile on her face in addition to the giddy expectation. As long as Tifa was happy, their home was happy and Cloud didn’t have to worry about her. Things couldn’t have been better between them. Besides the occasional feeling of uncertainty and insecurity, their relationship was perfect. 

But, perhaps there was a reason behind that periodic feeling of doubt, a reason why Cloud had picked the time to propose when he couldn’t make any drastic moves toward a nice wedding… He would never admit this to anyone, but he felt like he wasn’t good enough for her and that his love for Tifa wasn’t enough for an amazing woman like her. On occasion, he also felt sexually curious. Tifa had been the only person he had ever been with, all that he had ever known. 

Perhaps that reason was behind his desire to spy on the couple out the window. He didn’t believe that he was curious about sex with men, but all kinds of sex in general. What they did…it was so completely different from the way he touched Tifa… 

Cloud was unprepared to see an erect penis flash into view while watching the two lovers. Startled, he shifted his eyes away, then mustered up the nerve to keep watching once he got over the shock of seeing another man’s aroused body. Plus, neither party knew he was looking. Tifa didn’t know either. As long as no one knew, it didn’t matter what he ogled. It didn’t matter if he stared intently at the large member of another man because it looked so aesthetically perfect, so long, thick, rock hard and nicely shaped. His eyes didn’t move away from it until the man kneeling in front of the eager arousal took the whole thing into his mouth. At this, Cloud gasped. He didn’t know it was possible for someone to deep throat so….deeply. 

It seemed as though the guy on his knees was making the shaft nice and wet. When it was slick with saliva, he stood up and stripped his pants off in 3 seconds flat. The man then picked him and shoved his sopping wet length into his rear entrance before carrying him off to a place that was out of Cloud’s view. He was guessing it was their bed. 

That was when Tifa came back into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay! Everything is ready for the party. We have time to spare until eight!” Tifa got a mischievous look in her mocha tinted eyes as she then wiggled out of her little black dress. It was a dress she picked out especially form the house warming. 

Cloud nearly had a heart attack at the sound of her voice, but was more than grateful to see that the two he had eyes on had miraculously disappeared. His girlfriend couldn’t see the reason why he was crouched down below the window. Rather than acting suspicious, he stood up, composed as though he had merely been putting on a pair of socks before she barged in. Even still, while Tifa’s bodacious body was wrapped in naught but black lace, Cloud peered out of the window as though still trying to comprehend what he had just seen. Even when he saw her approaching figure, his eyes darted from the room and back to the view outside. “Tifa…did you know our neighbors are gay?”

More fixated on Cloud than the neighbors, Tifa pushed her man onto the bed and straddled him, jerking his chin up and away from the view so that his eyes met her perfectly lifted breasts still concealed behind her double D size brassiere. “I’m not surprised. This IS the city where all the gays go.” She was about to kiss him, until he looked away and said more.

“Maybe we made a mistake moving here.”

“I don’t think so. You just have to get used to it, that’s all. Soon, you’ll realize that they aren’t too different from you and me. They are people just like us.”

“I just think it’s weird…” Cloud said, finally. 

“What’s weird is…you having my boobs in your face and you aren’t even giving them any attention.” She pouted. 

The blond looked down at the big, bouncy set of knockers, with a somewhat awkward expression. “Sorry, Tifa…” 

 

-.-.-.-

 

Cloud and Tifa ended up having sex, just like Tifa wanted... On occasion, there were times she needed reassurance that her lover was attracted to her. Now… the awkward, unromantic couldn’t keep track of when, where and how he was supposed to make her feel desired. He was just doing what she wanted him to do, which was fine by him. There had never been a time she’s wanted something that he wasn’t willing to at least try to do for her. 

However… on occasion, Cloud felt like there was something wrong with him. He never wanted anything from her or from the relationship. He didn’t care if Tifa went left or right; he simply followed. He hardly protested anything that was uttered from her mouth; he only obeyed. And never had he ever had to worry about there being a lack of love or anything on her end. They had plenty of sex, agreed on money matters, never fought, and split the house chores so that things were fair and peaceful in that department as well. 

Yes, Cloud was as indifferent as ever on most things, but that was what worried him. Frankly, he would be fine if they got married next month or five years from then. Cloud didn’t even want children from her. He wasn’t sure what all this meant, but when he thought about it, he only felt as though there was something wrong with him or that he was missing something. Yet, as expected, it didn’t worry him all that much to press the concern. 

Cloud’s passive personality even manifested when they were in bed together. That evening before the party, he just laid there, flat on the bed…not exactly a rare occurrence during intimacy. Cloud didn’t care either way how the deed was done of course. Oddly however, he did make sure to mention to her about what happened outside their bedroom window. She seemed rather interested. Even though he was embarrassed at first, he had to tell her, to share with someone, the whole story… Strangely, he divulged everything to her, all that he saw, that it was a well endowed black guy with huge muscles and a tattoo on his arm and a white guy whose hair he could barely see because the man had been pushing his face in his lap… By the time the story was done, he climaxed….purely coincidental.

 

-.-.-.-

 

Fifteen minutes later, when they were both dressed and ready for the guests to arrive, they heard the first knock on the door.

Cloud’s immediate reaction to the arriving company was to retreat to the kitchen, preparing drinks as his excuse. He was never good with crowds. The General was the first guest to knock on the door, and quite punctual as he had come at precisely eight o’clock. After walking through the door, he had then proceeded to apologize for being early. This, Cloud didn’t understand. City people were SO different from what he was used to…

Sephiroth seemed to have brought a whole crew with him, all men of course; anyone that followed after were mostly men too. It was like they all had gotten some unspoken confirmation that it was okay to go to the party once the General got there. 

From the kitchen, Cloud gazed his way. He watched him make contact with Tifa, interact with her, and hug her in a casual manner as if they were the best of friends. He studied the tall man as he then introduced the men that had accompanied him… What Cloud couldn’t take his eyes off of, was that confidant smile perpetually plastered to his face. As he readied the required amount of glasses for the General and his company, he looked up and down, back and forth at what he was doing with his hands and Sephiroth. Then, suddenly when he looked back up again, the man was gone. He assumed that he had excused himself to use the bathroom or take a phone call. 

Seeing as how the coast was clear of the intimidating man, Cloud came out of the kitchen with a tray of martini glasses. Not yet looking up to meet eyes with anyone, he placed it down on the coffee table by the couch where Sephiroth’s friends were seated.

Rather than introducing himself, he became distracted by a spectacle a short space away from him. It was something he wasn’t quite expecting to see at thier house warming and he stopped merely to glance in that direction. There was no way anyone could miss it. A man dressed in a sloppily worn black suit, with long, wild red hair was passionately making out with another male. Cloud gawked, quite uncertain about how to react. Frankly, he didn’t know how he felt or how he should have felt. The display was just so foreign, and like when he watched the neighbors, the bewilderment he experienced when he set sights on it stopped him in his tracks. He looked to Tifa as though to ask her if something like that should be permitted in their home. She then simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled. He didn’t know how she could be so blasé about it. 

“This… is a pretty interesting party.” Cloud announced to no one in particular, darting his eyes over at the disheveled red head.

Zack followed his line of sight and laughed, “You mean Reno? Heh…. We’re all pretty used to seeing him do things like that. He’s pretty popular with the guys. In fact, I’d steer clear of him. He’s quite the playboy.”

“…Huh?” Cloud wasn’t sure what he wanted him to steer clear of exactly. 

“You must be Cloud…. I’m Zack, by the way!” He leaned over and shook Cloud’s hand enthusiastically. “And these are my friends, the same guys I work with like every day.” Zack then took the time to point his hand in the direction of each man as he introduced them. “This is Angeal, Tseng, Rude, and Lazard. You will see these guys around a lot once you start your training at base.” Zack Fair was one of the men Tifa had accompanied during the Nibelheim mission and had gotten quite close to, which was why Cloud wasn’t surprised that he knew who he was and that he had gotten accepted into the military. Even after first meeting the SOLDIER, the man seemed quite comfortable and familiar with him. He had a friendly, authentic aura, unlike the General, who felt unapproachable.

The ones Zack identified as Tseng and Lazard were standing, talking to one another. Rude was sitting as still and as silent as a statue beside Angeal who was looking at Zack, monitoring him like a parent did a child in a candy store getting ahead of himself. This was precisely the case. Whenever Zack Fair seemed to set eyes on a man he was attracted to, he fell for them instantly. Angeal had always warned him about falling for people too fast, especially straight men. The only thing he would receive in the end would be but a broken heart. But Zack bounced around happily and flirted freely, giving the attractive blond all of his attention. 

Cloud put his hand up discreetly, greeting them all with a stiff wave of his fingers. There was but one thing weighing heavily on his thoughts. He took a bold move and spoke his mind, “Are all of you…gay?” 

This question caught the talkative Zack off guard. “Hm? Um…well, sort of.” He rubbed the back of his head shyly. “Angeal is bisexual.”

“Pansexual…” The bigger SOLDIER 1st Class corrected. “Hi, Cloud. Nice to meet you.” Angeal then greeted the blond in a much sweeter tone of voice. 

“Oh, ha ha…oops. Anyways…I’m into guys if that’s what you’re wondering.” Zack then winked flirtatiously at the blond. “What about you, Cloud? We know you have Tifa, but would you ever get with a guy if, I don’t know, one day you became single again?”

The blond couldn’t help but laugh at the question. “Thinking on it right now, my answer is: no, absolutely not. But I really don’t know. You homosexuals just seem so content and wrapped up in your way of life that it almost makes me want to try.” He chuckled once more, “Almost…” 

“You shouldn’t give my friend such ambiguous answers. He may get the wrong idea and think you’re sexually liberated like him. He may think that he can make you his own.” A deep voice interrupted the conversation. All eyes turned to the man who spoke those words: Sephiroth. He smiled and sat on the wide arm of the couch, crossing his legs. “When Zack spotted you in the kitchen, he couldn’t stop telling me how badly he wanted to take you right here in front of everyone.”

Zack stiffened at the General’s abrupt comment. “Now, why would you go and tell him that?! It was a joke! And for your information, I’m not THAT sexually liberated!” He nearly fell out of his seat, trying to get his point across. 

Liking how lighthearted the conversation was becoming and finally finding a happy medium in the crowded apartment, Cloud sat down between the brunette and the silver haired man. “Uh….It’s fine. I’ll take that as a compliment.” Somehow, being in the presence of the General didn’t seem all that daunting after all. Sephiroth seemed like one of the guys, talking about sex and taunting a close friend. He seemed normal and down to earth. The unexpected impression put him at ease. Cloud slouched, relaxed in the sofa. 

“By the way, Cloud. This is Sephiroth, the General, also known as, General Hardass.” Zack said this with a bit of venom lacing his words. 

“I-I know… I’ve uh, I’ve seen him in the press and in billboards on the highway to Midgar.” 

“How discomforting... I hope you don’t think you have to treat me a certain way because they make it appear as though I’m a celebrity.”

“Oh no… it’s just that Tifa has told me so much about you that it’s a little mind-blowing finally meeting you in person.” 

To steer the conversation away from Sephiroth, Zack cut in, “You know… I’m a bit of a celebrity too, you know. I made 1st when I was just eighteen years old. I’m twenty-three right now, practically a veteran.” He bragged, brazenly competing against the General for Cloud’s attention and praise. 

“Really? That’s a big accomplishment for an eighteen year old...” The blond was truly impressed.

Zack took it upon himself to carry the conversation. “In SOLDIER we have this saying, it’s that if you sleep with another SOLDIER, you’ll make 1st. It was around the time before I got promoted that I lost my virginity to my mentor.”

Angeal, on the other side of Zack, gave him a sharp nudge in the elbow and groaned. At least he taught the ignorant puppy how to fight if he failed in teaching him social etiquette. Sometimes Zack just didn’t know what to say or how much to say…

Not quite getting the picture, Fair ran his mouth. “Sephiroth, Cloud was just asking me if we were all gay, all us 1sts, which made me consider taking it under serious consideration. After all, you are the biggest homosexual in the military and you’re the founding 1st Class member. You have never even slept with a woman! There has to be some validity to it. You, Genesis, Angeal and me, we’re all fags.” He received another elbow from Angeal. Rude looked as though he had been holding back some laughter. Fag was a title that stood true for all the SOLDIER 1st Classes but Zack and Angeal. “I mean, we had all slept with a SOLDIER or two before making it to 1st.” The overly energetic SOLDIER corrected himself. 

“That’s just a stupid roomer. Don’t scare him like that.” Sephiroth was the only voice of reason. 

“…What if it was true?” Cloud then spoke unexpectedly. “What if sleeping with another SOLDIER is all it takes to miraculously get me to make 1st?”

A crooked grin slowly made its way onto Zack’s smug face. “Now that would be interesting…. Of course, I’d be more than willing to help you out with that. As long as you’re a ‘wide receiver’” Zack all but giggled at the appalling humor in his words. 

“No….” Sephiroth stole the attention of the blond once more. He was quite good at it. “Cloud wouldn’t use you like that just to get promoted….” The General corrected with a knowing smirk on his face.

“Then what would I do, Sephiroth?” Cloud bated the General, wanting ShinRa’s most esteemed SOLDIER to humor him. 

Accepting the challenge, the silver haired man smirk’s widened, “First of all, you wouldn’t sleep with a SOLDIER unless you had—“

“Exhausted all of my resources…” Cloud finished the sentence in synchronization with Sephiroth, a bit impressed with the other’s ability to predict his thoughts. 

The wise older man nodded once, looking even more arrogant that the usual. 

That was when Cloud added, “And if I absolutely did have to sleep with one, I would—“

“Be the giver, not the receiver…” Sephiroth finished for him with overconfidence. Yet this was the remarkable, attractive type of confidence. The kind that left men and women alike stunned, captivated and wanting more. Cloud certainly wanted more…

Annoyed with how well the two were connecting, Zack threw his arms up, fed up. His body flopped back into the couch. “Well, there goes any chance I had…” 

At that moment, the blond couldn’t pull his eyes away from the General. “That….that’s… really good. How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Let’s just say that I pay close attention to Tifa whenever she mentions your name.” 

Zack crossed his arms bitterly. “Screw that, he probably takes notes.” Zack leaned over and whispered to Angeal who could care less about the techniques that Sephiroth used to remember such things. 

Terribly flattered, Cloud looked down with a bashful expression on his face, restless fingers balling up into firsts, tightening up and relaxing sporadically, as he sat there nervous, eyes cast to the floor to aimlessly search for something to look at down there. “Uhh….” Not knowing how to react, he reached over to the coffee table and took a drink of one of the martinis. Then, suddenly he stood up. Somehow, both him and Sephiroth had stood up at the same time. The abrupt action created a collision, causing the alcohol in the glass to empty all over the General’s grey dress shirt with a single splash. Cloud knew the material was of high quality, the kind he could never afford. “I am so sorry!” He took a few tissues from the box on the table and dabbed at the sullen fibers of the shirt. 

“It’s okay. I don’t care if you spill things on me, Cloud.” There was, of course, a hidden meaning to his words and an awkward lack of response by Cloud that followed.


	3. Chapter 3

Of course, Cloud wasn’t sure whether the General was being humorous or lewd in the deliverance of his comment. He could only think to rectify the messy accident that had taken place. The blond swiftly procured a hand towel from the kitchen and used it to dab at the taller male’s chest. Somehow, it felt dirty touching him in such a way… When Cloud looked up, Sephiroth’s eyes met with his. The man had been staring at him with a bit more intent than Cloud was comfortable with. “It’s not coming out very well…” He mentioned, as a way to break the silence. “I can give you something else to wear if you want? …but it won’t be as nice as the shirt you have on now. I’m really sorry...” 

Clearly, Sephiroth wasn’t as upset about it as the other. No, he wasn’t upset at all. In fact, he appeared as though he expected it, welcomed it. “Don’t be silly, Cloud. It’s just a shirt. …However, I’m afraid I will have to take it off soon. You got me really wet…”

Cloud cleared his throat before speaking. “Uh… S-so..” He sputtered nervously, looking down. “Come with me… I can give you something else to wear.” Before the General could even respond, he was leading the way out of the living room.

Sephiroth followed, with leisure. Cloud was fun to tease simply due to the mere fact that he was so clueless and awkward. 

“Damn it! How does Sephiroth ALWAYS get the guys that I want?” Zack blurted out, soon looking around to see that Tifa wasn’t anywhere in sight. He respected her relationship with her boyfriend, but nonetheless, Zack was attracted to him. They didn’t have to have sex or anything, although it would have been ideal. He was merely looking for a nice diversion from the usual men in his company. Cloud’s good looks had captured his attention and focus. He couldn’t help but flirt with him. It was harmless. 

Beside him, Angeal covered a hand over the younger man’s dangerously loud mouth. “Cool it. Cloud is taken anyway. It’s not like they can act on their compatibility. Anything beyond friends would be unacceptable.” 

That, at least, had put the brunette at ease. 

-.-.-.-

 

“You don’t have to leave. We’re both men.” Sephiroth was standing in the walk-in closet within Cloud and Tifa’s master bedroom. He stood there shirtless after receiving the top the blond handed him. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Cloud quickly agreed so that it didn’t seem like he was too nervous to be in the same room. Rather than leaving at once, like a self-conscious woman would have, he turned and looked at the man head on. What he took in were tight ripples of muscle, a tight washboard stomach. 

Sephiroth had yet to even put on the shirt he was given. Or rather, he stood there watching the other nervously gawk at his exposed upper body. 

“You’re more muscular than I thought...” The blond tried to sound as masculine as possible while still being flattering. 

“So what are you trying to say?” Sephiroth inquired, wondering if the other was insulting him or actually trying to hit on him in his own little awkward way. 

“I just wasn’t able to tell before, when you had a shirt on.” Of course, even Cloud didn’t know what he felt like he was trying to say. “Look... I’m not into men or anything. I don’t know what you thought that was back there, but it was just a joke.” 

The defensive change in attitude made the General chuckle. “The subject does not warrant an explanation. Of course it was a joke.” There lay a grin on his handsome face, his hand rising up to give Cloud a friendly pat on the shoulder. However, what started out as a pat, ended up being an excuse to cling to him.

“Sephiroth…” Cloud uttered in a daze when he realized that the General’s hand wasn’t leaving his shoulder. Instead, those warm, graceful fingers slid down his arm and clasped his hand. Sephiroth was cradling Cloud’s fingers in his own.

Somehow, Cloud just couldn’t find the strength to pull away from the man, take his hand back. 

His immobile figure gave Sephiroth the idea that it was ok take things a step further. Sephiroth was not afraid of rejection, an event that was so rare for him in and of its self. 

“This stays between us… Let’s just say that IF you liked my body as much as I feel you do, say that I wouldn’t jump to any rash conclusions if you desired to touch my body…”

Hearing Sephiroth entice him with such a guilt free offer put him in a state of bewilderment. Even so, he felt unusually tempted to advance him, to take up that offer… It terrified him that he was even considering it. 

To ensnare him even more, the General said, “I think it’s natural to want to look at or touch someone whose body you admire, be it male or female. Even I have wanted to feel a woman. That doesn’t make me want to be with a woman however.”

The more Sephiroth’s smooth, comforting and convincing words rung in his ears, the easier it was, the less guilty he felt the moment his fingers came into contact with that hard body. Tifa wouldn’t have minded. Just because he liked the way the General’s stomach looked, didn’t automatically mean that he wanted him. It didn’t mean he was cheating or anything like that. One touch didn’t make him a homosexual. He was simply admiring, as the General told him. 

“Okay…” Cloud whispered, his fingers already grazing their target. 

The silvered haired man followed the hand that stroked up his abdomen, and then slowly back down… 

His hand veered further up Sephiroth’s chest to cradle and pet his pectoralis muscles. The other man’s physique was firm, yet supple. Because of its elasticity, Cloud kept squeezing the skin together in his fingers, fondling him as one would do a stacked female. Something about the body before him felt oddly refreshing to him in comparison to large drooping breasts. What Sephiroth had was flawlessness. Everything was neat and firm, yet soft enough to take into his fingers and squeeze if he pinched hard enough. Even his nipples looked appealing. Curiosity drove him to tweak the pink specs of flesh. Feeling bold, he then rolled them around with his fingers the way he was used to doing with his voluptuous girlfriend. When he realized that he wasn’t dealing with a big pair of breasts, Cloud limited his touch to the tip of his thumb. 

Not fighting the mildly pleasurable sensations that Cloud was giving him, Sephiroth let out a heated sigh and closed his eyes. Then a sound escaped him, “Ngh…” 

Cloud found that he enjoyed such a delicate sound coming from a not so delicate man. He increased the intensity of his strokes. But before he could decide what to do next, the other brought his left hand up and took hold of Cloud’s right. Sephiroth placed it down low, until it lay on the front of his pants where his newly attained excitement was. 

Why, Cloud was left with no other choice but to stand there, feeling all its heat, length and hardness through the material. 

An instant later, Sephiroth’s lips were on his own, as well as his hot breath, his tongue, his saliva. 

Cloud shoved the man away and wiped his mouth, suddenly disgusted with everything that had just transpired. “You need to leave.” The blond sent the other a dirty look before he stormed out of the walk-in closet. Immediately upon leaving him, he hastened over to Tifa who was entertaining a pair of guests with her bubbly personality. “Tell everyone that the party’s over.” Cloud rudely interrupted. “I want you to end this party right now.” He fussed to her. 

At first, she looked at him as if he was insane.

After receiving an unsatisfactory response, Cloud brushed passed her and took long strides to the center if the living room. “Excuse me….. EXCUSE ME! THIS PARTY IS OVER NOW. THANKS FOR COMING...” The blond spoke in a deep, vociferous tone so that all heard him. 

The ten or so people that had showed up had all left in less than five minutes as Cloud showed them to the door, even Zack. 

Tifa politely saw them out as well, supplementing her farewell with an earnest apology, especially to Sephiroth, which the sight of him irritated her boyfriend from a small distance away. 

Sephiroth was wearing Angeal’s jacket, shirtless underneath, which oddly made him look like a high end fashion model trend setter. Somehow he looked better dressed that way. It pissed Cloud off… That even he could look better after Cloud had wanted him to look like a fool, leaving without a shirt or even walking out with the same shirt on only with a sloppy looking wet stain on it. The man deserved that humiliation after he had Cloud humiliated by sexual harassing him at his own house. Sephiroth had a lot of nerve. 

When all had gone, Cloud retreated to his and Tifa’s bedroom. 

Tifa was sure to head there without sparing so much as a second. “Cloud, that was so rude! And I was just starting to enjoy myself! Would you like to tell me why you suddenly felt the need to kick everyone out?”

“I felt….weird.” Cloud muttered in somewhat of a daze. His whole demeanor was out of character. 

“Oh, so you ruin my fun because you feel a little weird. Just sounds like your usual social anxiety to me…” She let out and exaggerated sigh. “Sometimes you can be such a wimp.” Tifa pulled the little dress over her head and tossed into a laundry hamper, before yanking a t-shirt out of the dresser drawer and throwing it on. She climbed into their bed, rather agitated. 

That was when Cloud came up to her lying figure. He kneeled down on the plush sheets, spreading her legs open. 

“Cloud… What in the…” She trailed off, bothered by the abrupt sexual initiation. “Don’t you want to explain yourself first? I can’t believe you’re—“ 

Cloud slid off her black laced panties and opened her legs up as wide as they could go, simply staring down at her newly exposed parts. 

She wasn’t going to stop him, although it felt weird carrying on at such an inopportune moment. What she wasn’t aware of, was that his sudden urgency for this came with a reason. 

He needed confirmation. He had to make sure that he enjoyed doing things like this to a woman. As he gazed below at her pink folds, he wondered if he always liked the way it looked, the way it felt against his tongue, surrounding his fingers… or if he had been just trying to appease his darling girlfriend all along. No doubt he liked being inside of her, but there were the times he closed his eyes and didn’t acknowledge her for the stunning woman that she was. He didn’t have to look at her there while having sex. He didn’t have to look at her anywhere. Cloud questioned whether he truly enjoyed all of her womanhood. 

Tentatively, he lowered his face down until his lips met her lips and the pleasure point in the middle. He stroked his tongue against her clitoris twice before she let out a high pitched sigh of ecstasy. Unfortunately, Cloud wasn’t very aroused doing it, but he kept on with determination. Since becoming sexually active with her, he had never quite known what to do down there, but she seemed to like it when he licked and sucked on her clitoris. Sometimes he kissed it and bit it. Cloud did all of those things, and when he felt his jaw ache, he looked up at her. A sadness and worried looked in his pale blue eyes. 

-.-.-.-

All hostility aside, Zack was the one to walk alongside the General as they departed. Stepping out of the elevator, he asked. “Did everything go alright? Cloud looked a little different…”

“Everything went perfectly. I planted the seed…”

“What do you mean?”

“I gave him a taste. But I think he bit off more than he could chew in one sitting.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next day during the wee hours of morning, Cloud Strife awoke lying flat on his stomach on the living room sofa. He groaned, giving a stiff stretch while lingering in the blurry after images of his dream. No, this wasn’t a dream, but merely a replay of the events that transpired the night prior. He was recalling that night, not a dream. “Sephiroth…” The groggy noise left his lips with disgust. Cloud shifted his position, moving to his side to perhaps get up when a soft hand caressed his shoulder. Taken by surprise, he flinched. “…Tifa?” The voice came out raspy and bewildered. 

“What are you doing all the way out here?” His fiancé lowered down to sit on the back of the couch, looking at him, concerned. 

The blond stretched slightly before sitting up. “I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to wake you up. You were out cold.”

Tifa gave a satisfied grin. “Well, someone gave me quite the work out.” 

As if embarrassed, he looked away with a half smirk. “…Then, I came out here sometime after two and started putting away some unpacked things. I was so on edge... I had to do something, you know?” 

She walked around the side of the long furniture and settled next to her boyfriend, placing her fingers on his bare chest. “You’re adjusting to a whole new place. It’ll take some getting used to. This is a big city compared to the little backwater town we grew up in. There are a lot of different things, people, and places you’re going to have to be exposed to from here on out. It’s a lot to take in right now, but I think you’ll be fine.”

Cloud sighed, “Yeah…” He could have sworn that he heard her say that same thing before only with different words. Was he that much of a wimp where he needed the repeated reassurance of his soon to be wife?

Tifa darted her eyes over to where the clock was just above the flat screen TV, smiling when she realized they had some time before the both of them had to set out for the day. “You know…” She started, worming her fingers into the tight confines of his boxer briefs, “You never told me what your problem was last night.” 

He permitted her entry. After four years, he was quite used to her touch, no matter the place she chose to feel him. “Uh…well, I was just feeling a little crowded. Our apartment isn’t that big…and there was just so much going on. I didn’t feel like dealing with it anymore.”

Her hand stopped, as she was confused as to what her boyfriend had to put up with during a party she herself had been the host of. “Dealing with what, Cloud?”

Cloud didn’t know quite how to put it. The words came out clumsily and rather impolitely delivered. “The….well, I don’t know, Tifa. All of those faggot friends of yours.” 

She abruptly removed her roaming fingers from his lap, even though he was already becoming hard. “They’re my friends, Cloud. Why would you call them that? I thought you were okay with gay people.” 

Images of his experience meeting Sephiroth and the company he brought along with him flooded into his mind. They were recollections that left an unpleasant, bitterness in his mouth. Mortification and shame threatening to rise up and consume him whole, he shook his head, dismissing the disturbing images. “I’m fine so long as they aren’t hitting on me or touching me. Last night, I was so disgusted. You have no idea… I just wanted all those fag—I mean…. I just wanted everyone to leave.” Of course, it hadn’t started out that way. Strife’s resentment toward homosexuals namely triggered after being alone with Sephiroth. It made him regret meeting and being so amiable towards them.

Tifa knew how her friends could be. Zack especially was quite the predator, but after getting to know him she realized how harmless he was. Fair had even come on to her when they first met despite how young she was. Looking back on it now, it hadn’t been serious at all. With the SOLDIER’s short attention span, he often went after girls and lost interest quickly. Being bisexual, that didn’t exclude male conquests. Tifa could easily see Zack harmlessly pursuing her straight boyfriend. “Can’t you just take it as a compliment? They must have just thought you were cute. That’s how gay guys are, especially Zack. I always talk about you and they probably just felt familiarized by the conversations I’ve had with them about you, that’s all.”

Cloud became completely silent a second or two before letting her know his thoughts on the matter. “…You know what? You have no right talking to them about me! I don’t know what you’ve been telling them, but they have this idea that it’s ok to get all up close and friendly. It’s really gross how they just flaunt themselves like everyone loves and accepts their lifestyle. It’s sick.” That famed General everyone seemed to be so in love with was worst of all. “And that Sephiroth… There’s just something about him I can’t stand.” 

Tifa crossed her arms with a pouty expression, at odds with whose side to take; her best friends’ or her bigot fiancé’s. “Cloud…”

He sighed, starting to feel slightly guilty about how he talked about the people she cared about. “Look, I’m sorry… I hope that I didn’t ruin your entire night.”

Her mood soon changed when there was mention of the prior evening. All she could recall at first was the time they spent rolling in the sheets. “Well… not my entire night.” She massaged the palm of her hand in his lap again, teasing him. 

“Y…yeah, I guess so.” He awkwardly removed her fingers from his lower body. “Look, I gotta get ready to go. I have to be at the ShinRa building before the sun comes up.” Cloud stood up before bending down to give her a peck on her unprepared lips. Cloud was particularly awkward when it came to kiss goodbyes… if he even gave one. 

-.-.-.-

It was almost seven in the morning and Cloud had undergone five different tests, a full body physical and signed enough papers to make the joints in his fingers ache. After he was done with all things required of him his initial visit and everything checked out, Cloud was told that he was free to eat in the cafeteria if he wished. It was a good thing since he was beginning to get hungry. He was considerately informed where the mess hall was before he and several other men he didn’t know were left to fend for themselves. Naturally, Cloud separated from the group and went on his own from then on out. He looked back at the men who remained as a group, walking, talking, and relocating as one. That was something he had a hard time doing. He simply felt better on his own. 

Thankfully, Cloud remembered exactly where to go to find the cafeteria, the group now far behind him, likely still quarrelling about on what direction to go. The only trouble Cloud encountered was the he didn’t know where to start. There was a smorgasbord full of the most delicious looking dishes and foods Cloud had ever seen. By the back of the dining hall was a narrow, dark pathway some men entered in, some men leaving with a large plate in hand or a bag. There was a dessert stand a distance away from him as well. He was beginning to wonder if he was in the right place. The place he was in looked nothing like a cafeteria. More like a busy buffet restaurant where all the guests helped themselves to all that they desired. 

And that was when he set eyes on a tall man with long silver hair, dressed in all leather. Without having to see his full profile, Cloud knew exactly who it was. “Damn…” Instinctively, the blond turned around so that the man couldn’t see his face. In doing so, he had bumped right into another. 

“Cloud?” 

Strife almost didn’t recognize the man, “I’m sorry, I…” When he turned to look face-to-face with the other, he then recognized who it was and lightened up, greeting him with a forced smile. “H-hey!” 

The professionally dressed man held out his hand. “Lazard, Director of SOLDIER. I’m sure you have forgotten my name since last night.” The Director smiled, letting the new recruit know that he was a friend in this overflowing realm of infantrymen and SOLDIERs he didn’t know. 

The cadet shook his gloved hand, feeling a superior air coming from the Director. 

“Is everything alright? Finding things here ok?” Lazard asked, concerned due to his somewhat close affiliation with his friends Zack and Sephiroth. Since neither were around, he wanted to ensure that Cloud was getting along okay.

“Yeah, I was just about to leave. I don’t know if I can afford any of this food…and it looks pretty packed. I was just going to grab a bagel and get out of here.”

The Director furrowed his brows in worry. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that! We have a table, so you can sit with us. And the buffet is free, Cloud. You’re fine. Everything else is a bit pricy but only because it’s better quality food.” He spoke of the deserts and the little room in the back where mostly 2nd and 1st Class SOLDIERs got their meals. 

“…what do you mean?”

“All of the food is great quality, but you have to pay for the gourmet dishes, specially ordered and prepared food like vegan, organic, gluten free, vegetarian, low fat… But that’s usually what the SOLDIERs go for since they have the money to blow. We all eat pretty well here. I guess it’s because you never know when you’re going to meet your end in the line of duty...” Lazard explained casually. 

Cloud had to check to see if the man had truly meant what he said. “What?” Although he had a pretty good idea of what he was signing up for, the thought of dying on duty still sent chills up and down his spine. It was quite a harsh reality. 

“Hahaha! Don’t worry. We take so many precautions to avoid that from happening. I mean there are potions, elixirs, phoenix downs, spells. It’s quite rare that men here go down for good. But ShinRa Corp. makes sure that while their men are alive, they do enjoy excellent meals and eat their fill every day. Come, grab a plate and sit with us.” He insisted with a personable, warm grin.

“Okay… Okay, I will.” Feeling compelled to take his superior up on his hospitality, Cloud had gotten a helping of scrambled eggs, bacon and a stack of French toast, before following Lazard to the table he and his friends sat. Angeal, Reno, and Zack were all there talking amongst themselves with a variety of different dishes set in front of them. They grew silent the moment the blond showed up. 

Cloud made sure to sit across from Zack rather than next to him.

Oddly, at first, the conversation wasn’t bad or uncomfortable at all. His breakfast tasted 5-Star worthy, of course on his uncultured palate, and he had completely forgotten that he had even seen Sephiroth’s mug. At ease with his company, Cloud carried on, calmly engaging in their talks about the military. “I don’t know, guys. Honestly, I feel like a late bloomer, joining the service so late in the game. I’m already twenty-one and you guys joined when you were in your teens. At this rate, I’m not going to make 1st until I’m an old man.” He exaggerated.

Angeal was the first to comment, “The worst thing you could do is curse yourself with words like that when you haven’t even started basic training yet. Who knows? You might have a knack for fighting and get promoted fairly quickly.”

Cloud had a negative retort. “That’s unlikely… I mean, Zack made 1st when he was eighteen and joined when he was even younger than that. It took him over four years to get where he is today.”

The veteran SOLDIER 1st Class refused to let the young man get any further in his pity party. “But what you don’t know is that Zack used to be a restless puppy who could never understand the meaning of discipline and hard work. He had a serious case of ADHD and it didn’t start to settle down until his first month as 2nd Class.”

“Angeal….” Fair mumbled, embarrassed.

“If you are focused, I believe you will make it to SOLDIER in a good year. Especially with how advanced they are now with mako injections and simulation training. Things are a lot better off now than when Zack was just starting out.” Angeal reinforced with a positive tone. Still, he wanted the new recruit to remain aware of another possible outcome. “…But remember, Cloud, not everyone makes it all the way to 1st, especially in such a short period of time. Only an elite few of us have and you’d be doing well financially and in ranking if you made it to 2nd. Unless you become crippled, there’s no doubt in my mind that you won’t make it. There certainly are plenty of 2nds in your age bracket. You should also take it into account that Sephiroth, Genesis and I are all in our early thirties. Zack is an exception.”

After listening to everything his senior had to say, Cloud realized that whether he liked it or not, the odds were in his favor. “Wow… I guess it may not take me too long to get where I want to be after all. Getting promoted to 2nd doesn’t sound so bad, but that’s not going to stop me from pushing myself to go even further…” If he made it to at least 2nd by the time he was twenty four, then he could buy Tifa the nice house that she deserved or even a big sized condo in the city. They could have their wedding with that sort of income.

“Anyway…” Zack was sure to chime in. “You should hit me up sometime for some one-on-one training. I can teach you The Zack Fair Special Technique!”

Reno chuckled, while guzzling some coffee. He nearly choked.

Angeal raised an eyebrow. “What technique is that?”

Cloud was also somewhat doubtful of the youngest SOLDIER 1st Class’s skills. “I don’t know… We’re so close in age. Are you sure you have enough experience to instruct me?” The blond taunted.

Since Zack was young and known for being a hyperactive wannabe hero with the attention span of a puppy, no one ever really took him seriously, though he was in fact a competent fighter who could get the job done. Fair had even bested Sephiroth ONCE. “Well, if you’re not comfortable with me, Sephiroth…” He pointed to the man he spoke of. “…teaches. You guys really connected the other night…remember?” He said, teasing Cloud. Since the General wasn’t the type to kiss and tell, Zack had no inkling of what happened that night in the closet. He simply had a feeling that the two had gotten better acquainted what with the amount of chemistry they had. “You seem to be comfortable with him, AND he has plenty of experience… He teaches a class, but I hear he does one-on-one too.” Zack winked. As he spoke, the General drew near to their table, much to Cloud’s dismay. 

There Sephiroth was, taking it upon himself to sit right next to the new comer feasting with his usual group of comrades… “Hello, Cloud.” The General greeted with satisfaction, particularly pleased.


	5. Chapter 5

Cloud was not as pleased as Sephiroth to be seated next to him at that very moment, “Hi….” He wore a somewhat welcoming expression all the same. 

Like the night before, Sephiroth was settled right beside Cloud. With a large cup of coffee in hand, he addressed the blond, “So, Cloud, how do you like it here in Midgar so far?” 

“It’s...” Cloud began, and then when he turned to look at the man face-to-face, he stopped for what felt like an eternity to take in the man’s appearance. “It’s…uh.” He never knew a man could look so perfect, so clean and fresh that early in the morning… It was a mystery as to what was the most striking about Sephiroth... Was it his moisturized, smooth, soft skin? Was it the way his eyes glowed under the subtle glow of hanging lights above, the manner in which his angelic hair fell over one shoulder, those plump pale rose lips that looked so sensual on a man? Cloud suddenly found it hard to breathe. His heart rate was accelerating, the thumping pulse vibrating in his ear. “Honestly, it’s just a lot to get used to. This city is the complete opposite from my hometown.” 

Sephiroth smiled, knowingly. “Is it all the people?”

Cloud turned away, glancing down at his half eaten breakfast. “Yeah, it’s definitely the people…” Of course there was a hidden meaning behind his words. 

Zack picked up on the tone in Cloud’s words and turned to look at Angeal as if to insight amusement. 

Angeal merely nudged his apprentice on the shoulder and shook his head. 

“Will you be coming to my training class?” Sephiroth inquired, glancing at Cloud.

“Y…Yeah.” Cloud was cursing at himself. Why did he say yes? He knew it was because everyone at the table seemed to be paying attention to him and awaiting his answer. And he didn’t want to have a hard time if they all saw him turn the General’s kind offer down. Worst case scenario, he could just cancel on him later when they were alone. However, even that seemed dishonorable.

Sephiroth gave an extra wide grin. “That means I can teach you right at the very beginning so that you will have perfect form. I teach a group, but I can instruct you privately so that you can have an advantage.”

Even then, both Zack and Angeal couldn’t keep a straight face as they both made eye contact. They knew how predatory Sephiroth was and Cloud was somewhat in danger. It was quite a display to witness. 

Feeling a tad bit exposed and favored amongst the other men, Cloud looked down and shook his head. “You’re a busy guy… Wouldn’t it be weird for you to take time out of your busy schedule to train me? I know you must have so many more important things to do as the General…” In his own passive aggressive, insecure way, he was turning down the offer.

“I think you’re one of those important things I could be doing.” Answered Sephiroth, much too quickly for anyone to be comfortable with. 

Feeling as though the conversation was getting a tad too bold and explicit, Reno cut in cursing, “Oh shit… Damn, it’s getting kinda late.” He leaned over the table before pushing himself up and standing.

Angeal followed his example. “Yeah, Zack and I have to go work out.”

“Yeah, I’m just gonna follow Angeal out.” Zack added. “So, Cloud, good luck with your training. I hope you get promoted faster than I did, and uh…I believe you have found exactly what you need to do that.” He winked before leaving with Angeal and Reno. 

Cloud glanced shyly at Sephiroth before facing the brunette and the rest of their leaving company. “Thanks Zack. Bye guys.”

Lazard got up too, “It was good to see you Cloud. I have work obligations as well. Will you be alright from here?”

“Yea—“ 

“Of course he will be alright.” Sephiroth interrupted assertively. 

Lazard nodded before frowning bizarrely at the General. He soon left their side and made his exit as well.

“You’re fine, right?” The General asked. 

Cloud nodded, “Yes. Yes… perfect.” He answered, though he was sweating, his pulse was still in his ears and he was having anxiety about why he was having such symptoms around a man. 

“I hope I didn’t offend you last night.”

“No…No, you didn’t offend me.” Cloud smiled, feeling his heart leap into his throat, thinking it more than bold of the man to even bring it up. He wished to leave the thought deeply submerged within the untouched chasms of his mind. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m not….” He shook his head and shrugged. There was no way he could look into the other male’s eyes comfortably and tell him that he didn’t enjoy caressing him the other night and that he was a positively straight man. He couldn’t lie to those eyes, the eyes that he couldn’t look away from no matter how hard he tried. “I’m not…!” Cloud felt frustrated and humored by his own actions at the same time. Telling a man something shouldn’t have been so difficult. 

“You’re not….a morning person?” Sephiroth finished for him with a gentle, kind expression. “I can see you look…out of sorts, unlike last night.” 

At this point, Cloud didn’t even know what he had been trying to say. He was absolutely dumbstruck. After seconds more of staring at the man’s white teeth, Cloud looked down, speaking again. “I have to go now.” He shook his head, forcing himself to remember all the important things in his life again. “I haven’t called Tifa yet. I should call her.”

“It’s still very early, Cloud.” The gay man informed, a bit annoyed at the mention of Tifa. 

“That’s even better. You know how needy girls are. She wants to hear from me. It’s better that I do it now than wait till late…” That was when he picked up on the inaccuracy of his words. Since Sephiroth was interested in men, than he probably didn’t know how needy girls were. He felt so silly for saying such a thing…

Sephiroth wrapped his strong fingers around the blond’s arm and gave him a firm squeeze before stroking him. “Don’t be so tense. Relax Cloud, its still morning.” 

Somehow, the heated sensations Cloud felt on his arm where the other touched him had gone straight to the center of his lap. “I know, but I need to let her know that I thought of her, so that she doesn’t have to worry, okay?” The younger male sent him a firm, serious look, trying to get a handle on himself, his hormones, his emotions… Sephiroth was mixing everything up. When he was around him, his body might as well have been split in two, each part doing something of its own accord, something opposing the other. One half of him was thrilled to be in this man’s powerful presence and even his hormones were helpless against his soothing company and irresistible charm. The other half felt compelled to think of Tifa, of their home, their bright future and get as far away from this man as he possibly could before Sephiroth demolished all of his hopes and dreams with one fell swoop. 

Cloud knew, in the back of his mind, that Sephiroth might have the power to corrupt and destroy him if he didn’t take the necessary precautions and distance himself from him as quickly as he could. Simply being in the same room was too much to bear, too close, too dangerous. Yet he was seated next to him, like the fated night they met, his presence energetically making his entire body go hot and his head jumbled with ideas and thoughts he was mortified to accept. His own feelings defied his own actions because even as he sat there with a defiant expression, mentioning his current lover as though he thought only of her, his lower body was stirring so unbearably that the confines of his pants had become painful. At such a time when his body was beyond his control, he needed those heated and excited sensations to vanish at that moment more than ever. “I just….I have to show her that I care.”

Sephiroth sighed, looking down briefly in thought. “….I respect that. How about I walk you out?” The older man generously offered the blond.

Cloud nodded and he had somehow managed to cover himself while making his way out of the mess hall. Once they were both out in the quiet hall, he turned to the taller man. “…Thank you.” He said, awkwardly. 

The General looked down at his subordinate with slight amusement. “…For what, insisting that I walk you out with that hard-on?” Sephiroth didn’t miss a beat.

“Shit….” Cloud looked down, humiliated. “This is so embarrassing...” 

The man had a true smile of enjoyment. “You still have a hard time controlling your hormones. I think it’s sexy…” 

It simply wasn’t physically possible for him to look up at the General without experiencing an increase in discomfort. Cheeks turning flushed, he fumbled with the front of his pants to try and see if he could make his excitement less noticeable. 

Sephiroth only stared, silent and observing before speaking in his deep commanding tone. “Are you busy tonight? Would you like to come to Vortex with us?” 

“What’s Vortex?” Cloud locked into those cat-like eyes again after finding the courage. 

“It’s a club, a lounge my friends and I like to go to on our nights off from missions. Sometimes we just like to go out, have fun and let loose while we have the opportunity.”

The blond looked back down again, feeling a bad premonition. “No thanks, actually…” 

The General still sported his arrogant smile. “Alright then. Let me know if things change for you.” He said amiably, as if he knew he was going to get what he wanted in the end. Sephiroth reacted in the same way as if Cloud had accepted his invitation.

Cloud, on the other hand, hadn’t picked up on his overconfidence.


	6. Chapter 6

After parting with Sephiroth, Cloud went directly to Wardrobe for his appointment with the tailor. Wardrobe was a section of the building that was meant for all employees, SOLDIERs and infantrymen. All uniforms were laundered in house in the same area. Each member of the military was given a garment bag which was used to house all of their clean uniforms and clothes. Dirty clothes were to be tossed into the laundry shoots which were compartments built in the walls. They were identifiable primarily by a wide, thick metal handle which you could pull open and simply toss soiled laundry inside. Cloud was in Wardrobe so that he could get fitted and assigned a garment bag so that his uniform was ready to go when the time came. 

“So, where are you from?” The tailor was an old man, little, short with a grey mustache. He was measuring Cloud. “A kid like you sticks out here in this city. You don’t look rough around the edges like the people who’ve lived here over the years.” 

“I’m from Nibelheim.” Cloud ended up saying; even though he’d rather not be revealing personal information about himself to someone he didn’t even feel like carrying a conversation with.

“Where?” The tailor said, raising his voice as if he hadn’t heard it let alone make out what had been said.

“Look, it doesn’t matter, just some small town in the country.” Cloud often grew restless and irritated trying to make small talk with others for the sake of it. It was a formality. All he needed was to get fitted, not tell his life story. He hoped that wasn’t where things were heading. Strife new that old men loved to talk. 

“Oh, the countryside? The city is a bit of a change from where you’re from then. How do you like living here?” The tailor asked calmly as he took measurements. He was wrapping it up. 

Cloud felt like he was getting asked that question quite often. “I don’t know. Its fine, I guess.” The reply came apathetically and unenthused. 

“So, you don’t mind all the…gays?” The tailor asked, boldly.

“…What?” Of course the blond knew what he had heard, he just couldn’t believe it. 

“The faggots… They seem to flock to the city and to the military. There are a lot of them too... Don’t get me wrong. They seem like they have good intentions, but aren’t they always sizing you up, or whatever you young whippersnappers do?”

Cloud couldn’t help but snort at the old man’s country way of talking. It reminded him of how the elders spoke to him at his hometown. “No!” The blond strongly disagreed. Sure, he had been hit on by both Zack and Sephiroth, but he didn’t feel the need to tell a stranger that. He didn’t want to get into it and he didn’t even want to be having an in depth conversation with someone who was standing so close to him. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t give myself that much credit.” Though it was true Zack and Sephiroth had undoubtedly come on to him, he didn’t think that the advances of two men counted as a significant amount, oddly enough.

“Ha! That’s surprising. You’re one of the littler one’s, so I thought you may have had a run in or two.” The tailor went to an area towards the back of the room where racks of uniforms hung. “You know… You’re so little I’m gonna have to give ya an extra small!” He hollered. 

Cloud sighed. The man was really starting to get on his nerves. 

Despite the blond’s shift in mood, the tailor proceeded to prattle aimlessly as he sifted through the clothes hanging on the rack before him. “You know, Sephiroth’s into men. The whole world knows now. He’s a hero and everyone respects him, but I don’t know… He’s kind to me when he comes in, but every once in a while when his laundry is sent in, I’ll see a….” He stalled a moment. “…stain or two, if you know what I mean.” He almost didn’t mean to reveal such personal information about the General’s dirty laundry. He only took care of dry cleaning, which included fittings and repairs, so when all the SOLDIER 1st Class’s handed in their fancy customized uniform, he was the one to see to them. Sephiroth’s uniform was never truly that bad or dirty, but when there was a stain, it was hard to get out. 

“…Stains?” Cloud was clueless. 

The tailor cleared his voice and stammered for a moment as if he was having a hard time opening up further about his long time client’s dry cleaning. “Y-You know! You’re a young one. You should understand what that means.”

“Oh…” Cloud looked down, suddenly feeling not only awkward but nervous. 

Blood and dirt stains were one thing, but the white fluid was hard to clean off of the black leather. “When I see it, I can’t help but think about how it ended up there. …It’s a disturbing image, don’t you know? And hard to clean!” He shook his head as if truly tired of having to scrub off dried semen from leather. 

The blond said nothing for a full minute before locking eyes onto the other, and speaking in a low serious tone. “…That was too much information. I hope you don’t always go around telling people’s business like this, especially SOLDIER’s. Sephiroth is the General too. How dare you gossip about him like that?” Cloud didn’t know why he was even defending the man, the words were just coming out. There was just something both wrong and childish about discussing the man’s dirty laundry, like Sephiroth was supposed to be inhumanely perfect. Cloud knew that he seemed perfect, but just like all the other homos, he was a pervert. But the tailor didn’t need to know that, or that Cloud was annoyed by them. Obsessing over it with someone else wasn’t going to make anything better. Even though he wasn’t the biggest fan of Sephiroth, he didn’t want to listen to someone else talk down about him. 

Actually, there was another reason why Cloud wanted to be done with this conversation… It was because the slightest information he had been given about the naughty state of the General’s uniform made him grow unexpectedly aroused. He didn’t know why he was so sensitive that morning... Cloud hoped the tailor didn’t notice it. As it seemed, he looked hesitant to look at Cloud let alone speak again. 

“Pardon my words. Seems I’ve overstepped a professional boundary…” He came from behind the rack he was sorting through and had an infantryman uniform in his hand. “Here, try this on. This should fit you perfectly if I’m not mistaken.”

Silent, Cloud went into one of the dressing rooms and closed the door. 

It seemed like the moment he closed the door, another opened. There was another in need of clean uniforms.

“Sephiroth!” The tailor exclaimed, stopping everything that he was doing. The old man looked rather on edge. After boldly revealing the man’s secrets, the tailor had gone completely pale in the face of the highly touted man. Even so, he wore an eager smile, eager to please a man of such superiority. “I-I have your uniform ready for you, sir!”

The General was calm and collected, he almost looked bored. In a way, he was bored of how the tailor falsely grinned in his face, schmoozed, and gave him the absolute best fake customer service. The tailor all but fondled his testicles on his way through the door. 

“Thank you.” Sephiroth handed the man a fat tip.

The tailor took the money and held it with anticipation and pride. “Oh, thank you, sir!” He said before disappearing behind a door in the back, to go fetch the General’s coats. 

Cloud emerged from the fitting room, now wearing his uniform, which fit flawlessly. “You again…?” Cloud said in a playful tone. 

Sephiroth chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be out of your hair soon.” 

Cloud hung his head, “Do I come off that why? I didn’t mean to…” 

“It’s okay… Besides, I need to learn when to give up.” The General winked at him. 

“Ha…” Cloud rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Look….I’m sorry I’ve been acting weird since the party. I just never did anything like that before and I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.” He looked down, unable to maintain eye contact comfortably for too long. “And I didn’t want to agree to go out tonight because I felt like that would have been sending you the wrong message.”

Sephiroth had a feeling Cloud was going to explain himself in such a way. “Slow down, Cloud. I understand. You’re not into men. Associating with me in any way does not make you a homosexual. I just want you to know that I get that.”

The engaged young man nodded. “Yeah… Thanks. …Because I’m NOT gay.” For some reason, Cloud lowered his head again as though he felt guilty. He could feel an unnatural taste on the tip of his tongue as he uttered those words. 

Sephiroth hummed in amusement. “Yes, you already, said that.” 

The blond was quiet before speaking again. “Well, now that we got that out of the way, I think I will go out with you tonight.”

The General cocked his head to the side. “Oh, why the sudden change of heart? AND you’ll be coming to my training class too?”

“Yes, I said I would.” Cloud wasn’t sure why he was suddenly agreeing to all of these things. It just felt right to, like he might be missing out if he didn’t go. He felt like there might be a reason why he ran into the man a second time that morning. 

“Good to hear. Vortex opens at eight but we usually get there around ten. And my class is the day after tomorrow, at six in the training room.” Sephiroth said with a smirk. He knew Cloud had a while before he started training so he had the time for it and it would be more than advantageous for him to attend.

Naturally, the blond hesitated. “I-I just have to check with Tifa first… before anything’s final.” There it was, the excuse as to why he might back out. 

“Of course…” Sephiroth murmured in slight annoyance. 

There was one other concern weighing heavily on his mind however, “Sephiroth… is…is it an all gay training class?”

At first, the General’s face lit up in amusement then it went completely dark. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken… there are actually only straight men in this class.”

Cloud felt his cheeks become warm in embarrassment after being blatantly incorrect. And After Zack had so enthusiastically informed him that all the most powerful top ranking SOLDIERs were gay or had slept with a man at some point. He felt ridiculous for listening to that idiot. Promotions were determinant on strength and skill alone, not sexual orientation.

That was when the tailor emerged with his clean garbs. 

The General crossed paths with the shamed blond before taking his uniform from the tailor. When the old man left the room again, after mere seconds, Sephiroth said to Cloud. “By the way…the little uniform is quite charming on you.” Sephiroth was only teasing in the end. 

The blond flushed red all the way up to his ears, but wore an irked frown all the same, grateful that the tailor was gone and couldn’t see or hear everything that took place.


	7. Chapter 7

Once done in the Wardrobe Department, Cloud went to the first floor where the lobby was located. Now finished with all the assignments he was given in the ShinRa building, he decided to visit his fiancé. At the front desk, he found her laughing and engaging in friendly banter with another female receptionist. Both were dressed in long neatly fitting black skirt suits.

Tifa lit up when she saw her lover coming up to where they were stationed. “Hey!” She exclaimed, “Did you get everything done here, today?” The woman asked. 

“Yeah, but they don’t plan on putting me to work with basic training until almost a month from now. Until then, they told me to make the best of my free time, spend time with family, tie up loose ends, work out to prepare my body for training... Today they gave me the 3rd degree. They asked me a bunch of questions, had me sign things, wavers, contracts, insurance papers, and even write a will. Then, they conducted some tests… I’m probably missing a few other things I went through, but it was a pain… I’m just relieved it’s all over and done with for the day.” Cloud leaned the side of his hip against the slab of granite separating him from his lover, mentally exhausted. The military was serious business. It had taken all that he had to undergo that morning to realize that. 

Tifa wrinkled her pouty lips in worry. “Cloud….” In that moment she realized that she hadn’t yet introduced him to the woman beside her, the one she worked alongside almost every day. “Oh, Cloud, this is Yuffie. She’s a colleague and great friend of mine.”

Again, the congenial woman was introducing him to another one of the people that she knew. Sure, it put his mind at ease to know that Tifa was mostly surrounded by friends, but it also reminded him of that fact that he was still finding himself, still getting used to the big city and establishing mere acquaintances. “It’s nice to meet you, Yuffie.” He politely greeted, shaking her hand.

Yuffie blushed with a sideways grin on her childlike face as Cloud had her hand in his. 

The man was oblivious to her blushing response. He ran his fingers through blond spikes. “Tifa, I came here to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything okay?” She asked, taking on a worried look. 

“Yeah, it’s just that… Sephiroth asked me if I wanted to go out with him and his friends later tonight. I would, but when I thought about it, I realized that I should be spending time with you as much as possible since I won’t really be able to once training starts. I have nine weeks of intensive training ahead of me with no home visits. I know I need to be with you while I have the chance…” Cloud explained quite anxiously. 

“Did you and Sephiroth manage to patch things up?” It was a rather laid back response her lover hadn’t seen coming. 

“Yeah, you could say that...”

“Then go! Please! Go out and be social! Have a good time before training. We have plenty more nights ahead of us to be together. We have the rest of our lives! I want you to be more outgoing and independent. That was what moving out here was about too, you know. I don’t want to be the only person you spend time with. Go, PLEASE go out with them!” The beautiful brunette, insisted energetically from behind the desk.

Cloud didn’t know how he felt about it. “No, I should be with you. We just moved here and—“

“Cloud….go.” was all that she said. 

There was no accepting her answer. “Why don’t you come with me?”

“I have to work late and besides, he invited you, not me. Just go out with them. It’s probably a guy’s scene anyway. I wouldn’t fit in.”

Cloud couldn’t help but wonder how she could automatically assume that he would fit in anywhere he went with Sephiroth. However, in the end, he had no other choice but to comply with her firm orders. She left him with no other choice. “…alright.”

When the blond departed, leaving her his fiancé and Yuffie alone at the front desk, the short haired younger girl turned to her after pretending that she hadn’t overheard their conversation. “As cute as he is, you’re letting him go out alone?” Yuffie asked in immense disbelief.

“I’m making him go. He doesn’t know many people. He’s kind of a loner. The city is a huge change for him. I’m hoping the locals will rub off on him and he’ll become more social. As wonderful of a lover as he is, I don’t want him to be up under me his whole adult life. This will be good for him. Besides, I trust him. We trust each other. I also believe that being around Sephiroth will be good for him.”

-.-.-.-

Before going out, Cloud called Tifa one more time just to make sure. His guilty conscience was no doubt making him act paranoid and uncertain. He merely wanted to make sure that she genuinely wanted him to go out, and Cloud wanted her to know that he didn’t need to go anywhere. While he still wasn’t completely comfortable with the General and his friends being into the same sex, he also couldn’t be more in awe of it. Tifa had this sweet innocent impression of them, of Sephiroth…and it was all because she had no knowledge of that night. She hadn’t seen the way the silver haired man looked at her lover. She hadn’t seen the way he smiled at him. Sephiroth smiled as if he knew, just knew, he was going to get what he wanted from Cloud. Tifa had no idea about the kiss... She knew nothing, and Cloud didn’t count on telling her.

Cloud walked into the nightclub with Sephiroth by his side. There was one thing he noticed instantly upon entering the sea of people, flashing lights and thumping music. “There are only men here…”

“Yes, Vortex is an all men’s club and lounge.” Sephiroth took the younger male by the shoulder and led him inside. They went past all of the people toward the back of the establishment where a few familiar faces lay. Beyond the bar and dance floor were tables and private booths where you had to climb a considerable amount of stairs to reach. The platform overlooked the whole club. At one booth, all the way in the far left corner, were his friends. 

“Hey…” Cloud greeted everyone. 

They all returned him with a rather confused greeting, but he was welcome nonetheless. Only Zack looked at him with amusement. “So the blond bombshell joins us yet again?” 

This wasn’t what Cloud had expected from the brunette SOLDIER. If Tifa’s words had held any validity to them, then the man would have lost interest in him already, but still he fixed his deep azure eyes laden with great desire on him. “…Sephiroth invited me.” Cloud sat down sandwiched between Sephiroth and Fair because that was the only space left in the booth. 

All the men at the booth sent the General a questioning look.

And the General answered their stares, with a wicked, sinister grin. “I thought Cloud would like it here.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Very funny.” murmured a not so amused Angeal. The burly SOLDIER could only image how, on earth, the General believed Cloud could like it in an all gay, sex, drug and alcohol filled environment. The man was more demented than he previously gave him credit for. If Sephiroth wasn’t outright distorting the truth, than he must have been playing at some sort of a cruel joke. 

The silver haired man only smirked at Angeal, handing the blond a short glass of a clear alcoholic beverage filled to the brim with large chunks of ice, garnished with a slice of lime. 

The strong scent of gin filled Cloud’s nose, but he dare not drink the cocktail…

Though Zack previously had his eyes on their newest guest, he was soon looking around frantically as if at odds with what to look at, what to do, or rather, who to do. “Oh my god... There are so many hot guys here.” It was as everyone always said about the restless SOLDIER. He was quick to go after many men. In this large vicinity full of striking homosexuals, he felt overwhelmed. “H-Hi…” He said to a guy making eye contact with him, who had walked all the way to their table.

“Hi.” The man responded. Then, he immediately dove in for a kiss with Reno. 

The red haired Turk pulled the male closer, deepening the kiss. When it was over, he got up. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be back later.” That was code for: [I’m going to fuck some guy’s brains out who I barely know. Be back when it’s over.]

Zack leaned over on the table, with a sour, discouraged look on his face. 

Angeal patted him on the back.

“I don’t get it….” Zack whined. “I mean, what does Reno have that I don’t have?” 

Lazard looked up, “It’s his attitude.” He said simply. 

Cloud was ardently listening in on their conversation. It wasn’t as if he had much of a choice...

“I’ve got attitude.” Zack retorted.

Then Sephiroth gave his opinion, “That isn’t what he meant, you idiot. Lazard was saying that it’s because of how highly he thinks of himself. Reno’s quite confident, if not cocky.”

Angeal nodded, “I agree.” 

Zack had to disagree. “No, it’s because he’s so stupid, and stupid people are too stupid to worry about rejection!”

“Then you should have no problem then.” Sephiroth couldn’t help, but push Fair’s buttons. 

“Sephiroth…” Angeal scolded. “Be nice.” 

“And who knows…” Lazard continued, unsolicited. “It might be the size of his, well… you know.” Lazard further explained. “That’s where most of a man’s confidence lay.” 

Cloud’s light sky blue eyes widened as he gawked at the supposedly professional man speaking on such a vulgar topic in his own cryptic manner. He then heard Sephiroth chuckle under his breath. Was this how all gay men talked amongst themselves? If so, he knew that he didn’t belong there. He simply couldn’t relate and frankly did not want to mention any man’s penis, the size or otherwise. Even so, he remained put, observing, though reluctantly. Somehow, he felt glued to his seat. A part of him didn’t want to miss a word. 

As Sephiroth had revealed, Zack even appeared to be too dense to even understand. “I don’t get it.”

“Reno has one of the biggest in Midgar... You know what they say about skinny guys.” Rude, who Cloud didn’t even notice at the table, spoke up so that his voice was heard by the whole booth. 

Sephiroth coughed loudly, outwardly in disagreement. 

Rude was slowly nodding, “It is… a very nice size and shape…long with perfect contours, not too thick.” Rude seemed to have a particularly detailed explanation of the man’s instrument. 

“Yeah, but is it circumcised?” Lazard, who was quiet before, inquired. He had a look that insinuated that he wouldn’t be impressed with the male genitalia if it weren’t circumcised.

“Does it matter? Isn’t your boyfriend from Wutai?” Zack went off at the mouth before thinking. Of course it was rude to accuse, or stereotype any race of following any certain practice.

Angeal folded his arms and lowered his head in mortification. Sometimes, his protégé’s choice of words were downright rude, in which case being around him became unbearable. 

Tseng scowled before his lover answered. 

“My darling just happens to be very much cut, thank you very much.” Lazard placed his hand under the table on top of the long black haired man’s lap. 

Tseng didn’t respond and simply continued to frown at Fair. However, he whispered to his lover. “You didn’t have to tell him that…”

Fair went on. “Does having a circumcised penis automatically mean you’re going to get laid more? Wait, who here is circumcised?” Zack, who was not circumcised, frantically asked in a panic.

Lazard, Sephiroth, and Tseng all raised their hand. Rude meekly positioned his hand in the air, then his other, claiming that it was on Reno’s behalf. 

“Fuck…” The only other uncircumcised guy, besides Angeal, cursed before locking onto Cloud. “Well, at least you and I have one thing in common for sure.”

Whether he had gotten his foreskin chopped off or not, Cloud refused to let these men in on his personal business. He didn’t know if it would end up circulating out there in the world of gossiping gay men.

“But, damn, all of you guys do have way more sex. Guys…should I go for the big snip?” Zack was mentally weighing out the pros and cons. 

“No, Zack. Just...shut up.” chided Angeal, who also sent the unruly puppy an annoyed glare. “You’re getting on everyone’s nerves and I think you’re making Cloud uncomfortable. If you want to score so badly then I will take you home myself.”

The young SOLDIER’s only reaction to the older man’s offer was a look of disbelief. Then, he got quiet. For the first time that night, he had nothing to say. You could see it in the shift of his behavior that he was quite powerless in the face of Angeal’s sexual proposal. 

That man had a certain prowess over him. If there was one sure fire, effective way to put Zack in his place, it was with sex. Yet, when sex with his mentor was dangled in front of him, he morphed into this perfect, obedient, well behaved canine that would do anything, even sit still in silence, for that chance. Angeal knew that it was because he was the young man’s first. He was Zack’s first and his first love, which made him special. Angeal took to having such power over him. Even if he knew this thing Zack felt for him was inconsistent. 

Suddenly, Zack began digging around in his pocket, or that’s what it looked like to Cloud until he glanced down at his lap. Zack was holding himself and staring up at Angeal. “Can we leave now? I don’t think I can wait much longer...”

Cloud turned to Sephiroth suddenly. “You know, I think I’m just going to go get some air...” The blond immediately stood up before Zack had gotten any more aroused than he already was. He scooted past Sephiroth and out of the booth. 

“Is everything alright?” The General worriedly looked over at the other. 

“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks.” Without wasting a moment, Cloud shuffled down the steps and into swarm of gyrating body parts, vibrating beat tones, lights and colors. 

Angeal turned to his silver haired colleague with an accusatory look, “You know he’s not coming back, right?”

A low chuckled grumbled from the depths of the General’s throat as he took a sip of the untouched gin and tonic he had set before Cloud. “I do not expect him to.” He leaned back, smirking triumphantly as though he had foreseen the boy’s reaction and intended for him to act as such. 

Angeal leaned forward. “Why in the world did you bring him out here in the first place?”

Sephiroth did not answer. Instead, he grew silent, his face darkening, turning sinister.

His overbearing friend came to his own conclusion. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to turn him into a flaming fag, because that just isn’t going to work. I’m surprised at you! Go find someone else to sleep with, or are you that bored and hard up for a challenge?”

“You have the wrong impression. I am not trying to turn him into anything that isn’t already a part of him.” The General spoke in a serious tone. 

Angeal refused to side with his friend on the matter. “You’re playing with fire, you know that? The boy is about to get married. If you cared about Tifa even a little bit, then you would stop this little sport of yours right now.”

The tallest man stood up, towering over all who sat at the table. “...You’re mistaken. I’m doing this due to how deeply I do care for Tifa!” That was when he reached over the table and grabbed Angeal by the shirt, yanking him forward, leaning in so that their noses were inches from colliding. “And this is not some sick sport to me… Everything that has happened has happened because of necessity! It would only be a sham if the two of them….” He paused, his temperament calming down all of a sudden when soon he reverted back to the cool and composed General. “No…. I will see to it myself that the two of them can wed as soon as humanly possible.” Sephiroth then released his ferocious grip on the other male’s shirt and sauntered away as if nothing had happened.

“I would like to know what he’s smoking…” Reno cynically commented, arriving in time to see the General’s stunt.

“Shut up, Reno.” told a disgruntled Angeal as he smoothed out his shirt in an attempt to fix the area that had been stretched out of shape.

Cloud bustled passed the throng of men when a short haired brunette came up from behind him. “Hi there, stud.” The stranger said. Cloud answered with a flat out. “No, just no. No, thank you.” And with that awkward experience, Cloud pushed his way out of the club and stomped over to where he parked his motorcycle. He drove home, too humiliated to tell any one of them of his whereabouts or even that he left. After all, he didn’t know why he went with Sephiroth in the first place. The man was obviously trying to turn him despite accusing Zack of doing the same thing. Though he kissed the General, he knew that it was a mistake. They could never be together. He had Tifa. He wasn’t a homosexual. It was only the unknown that fascinated him. Being gay wasn’t even an option….because if he were to become gay, then he would have far too much to undo…


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Cloud decided to meet with his fiancé again. Some days, Tifa had to work double shifts, which meant working late into the night. That left little time for them to spend together once she got off. They decided that in order to see one another at all during those days, Cloud would come to the ShinRa building to see Tifa around the time of her lunch break. Cloud did it most days he knew Tifa was scheduled in such a way. 

Their plan was to meet on the second floor of the ShinRa lobby, before Tifa went to lunch. There was a neat array of about five or six tables and chairs situated where Tifa sat in wait for her lover, all dressed in her professional uniform and shoes. 

All of a sudden, she sprung up from her seat, as she had seen someone she recognized drawing closer toward her. However, it was not her romantic partner….

Cloud was presented with a most suspicious scene…. “Tifa…?” He drawled too low for her to pick up.

The women was in the arms of another man, a SOLDIER 1st Class, one she knew. It was someone Cloud knew as well, a man that he had pegged as one not to be trusted from the start. 

Zack had his hands cradling delicately her narrow, slender waist, holding her close to his body. As if she were his own, he nestled his nose in the crook of her neck, sure to smash her voluptuous chest against his hard one. He wore a look of deep enjoyment, one that Cloud could clearly see, and it boiled his blood to witness such a scene. There were various reasons why it was unacceptable. Even so, Tifa giggled and thrashed about, pretending not to enjoy it as she pushed him away. 

“Stop it…” Unable to look away, Cloud had moved toward the pair unnoticed without even thinking and appeared before them in an instant.

Zack looked up from her huge set of breasts, subtly drawing himself away from her as if nothing had happened. “Oh hey there, Cloud!” 

The blond answered only with an impulsive and ruthless fist square in the SOLDIER’s cheek. 

It wasn’t enough to cause his superior’s muscular body to topple, but he swayed and his vision blurred slightly. 

Tifa gasped in a state of disbelief, holding her hands up to her mouth. “Zack, are you okay?” 

The man who threw the punch glared at her for showing such compassion. “Stay out of this, Tifa…” Cloud seldom raised his voice, but he wanted to yell and fought his hardest not to reprimand the woman he normally treated like a delicate rose.

“Ugh…. I’m alright. Don’t worry.” Zack spoke cautiously, while feeling the side of his jaw and cheek, opening his mouth to test the bone. Since his body was bigger in size, pumped with mako, and well accustomed to taking blows, he reacted with slight indifference. “For a little guy, you sure can—“ 

Again, Cloud beat him against the side of his face. He didn’t like the way his first reaction was. The initial hit hadn’t seemed to hurt him enough….

“Cloud!” shouted Tifa. 

After feeling more pain inflicted on the same spot, Zack kept silent that time, only landing his blue eyes on the blond, interested in what his reasons were for hitting him twice in a row. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be a faggot?” The enraged new recruit began his interrogation, replicating the words of the homophobic tailor.

Tifa, instead cut in, feeling sympathy for the stricken SOLDIER. “Cloud he’s…” Little did she know, those blows were mere child’s play for Zack.

“Don’t give me that bisexual bullshit!” Such a vociferous, deep roar sounded unusual coming from him. “You either choose one or the other. You can’t have both! Didn’t you just do it with a guy last night? Why are you all over her?” He gritted out bitterly, caring little for any passerby who overheard his words. 

“Goodness, Cloud…I was just messing around. No need to throw a tantrum.” Zack smoothed his right thumb over the bruising mark before looking at it to check for blood. His hand fell to his side, finding no trace of blood. 

Cloud struggled not to sock the man another time, simply for the insolent tone of his voice. He even hated the overly giddy sound of him talking. “Messing around? So last night it was men, and today its women? You stay away from Tifa, especially since you live a perverted lifestyle like that. You grope or ‘mess around’ with Tifa again, and I’m going to ‘circumcise’ you myself.” 

“Cloud…Are you threatening me?” Zack said, stunned, brows lowering in exasperation at both the embellished accusation and threat.

“All night long you were crying about how much you wanted a man…yet here you are. There’s no way you can like men and women! Bisexuality is just a label to justify a life of sexual excess and perverted behavior… You stay away from Tifa!” He made his way over to Zack and shoved him further from his fiancé. 

Tifa took it upon herself get in the middle of the conversation and in the middle of the two men. It had gotten far enough. “Cloud, just stop it! You’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion. It was just a harmless, friendly hug!”

“Yeah, well no more hugs… or whatever that was.” His piercing azure eyes remained fixed on the other male even as he addressed his fiancé. “Get lost.” When the SOLDIER didn’t move on the command, he hurled another fist at him, only this time it was caught in Zack’s grasp. Cloud took back his hand, feeling a bit of awkwardness at the parry. 

“I guess I can’t let my guard down around you.” Fair concluded with a serious tone, one that wasn’t suited for him. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. Tifa and I are good friends so I thought it was okay. It was nothing serious. She never told me I was making her uncomfortable, so I thought it was okay to hang onto her. It’s my fault. I should have considered her relationship with you…” After those honestly spoken words, Zack, albeit pitifully, departed in low spirits. He genuinely hadn’t meant any harm. 

As soon as Zack was out of his sight, Cloud made his way over to the closest table and arched over, planting both his palms on its gloss finished surface, leaning all his weight on it as if exhausted. After the SOLDIER had walked away, even he had to wonder what he was truly so enraged about, why he got so heated up. Zack had simply been hugging the woman that was his close friend, not kissing her like when Sephiroth kissed him. They weren’t having sex, like Cloud had fantasized doing with Sephiroth…

“…I can’t believe you.” Tifa’s heels made a soft knocking sound when padding over to him. She positioned herself at his side. “Was that really necessary?”


	10. Chapter 10

Cloud looked down, in disbelief at his own behavior. “I’m….sorry Tifa.” 

“What’s going on with you? It almost feels like the house warming party all over again. Did something happen? I feel like I’m being left in the dark with you these days. You’ve…changed.” She placed a hand on his shoulder almost uncertain. 

The blond felt something grow tight in his chest. A viciously anxious sensation worked over his entire being at that moment. “It’s….nothing. It’s just stress. When I saw that, I guess it just pushed me over the edge.” 

His fiancé moved her soft hand lower to his back, soon moving it back and forth in a comforting, soothing motion. 

“I don’t know, Tifa… I just can’t seem to get used to being around all the…these men who like other men. I can’t wrap my head around it …” He wished to say how it infuriated him, but his girlfriend might wonder why he had such intense negative emotions toward it in the first place. “And then I see one of them all over you… Do you see where I’m coming from?”

The silent brunette took in his softening words and came to one conclusion. “I know what this is about.”

“You do?” Cloud asked, looking up. He was panicking on the inside. 

Tifa nodded. “This is about us not spending enough time together since we moved here. You probably feel really alone right now, because you don’t even have friends of your own. But even still, that’s no excuse to take it out on my friends or their way of life.”

Exhaling a deep sigh of relief, he replied, “I guess you’re right. Sorry about that. I guess…I have been feeling alone.” Cloud straightened his back from the hunched position he was in and faced Tifa with a hopeless expression. 

She returned his solemn look with one of sudden cheer and excitement. “That’s why….” Tifa gave him an energetic, quick peck on the cheek. “I invited us to go wine tasting with a few straight friends of mine and their spouses. You know…enjoy good wine, get to know the city a little bit better, show each other off… It’s been such a long time since we’ve gone out together. This will make up for us not being able to be together last night and tonight.”

“Oh….when?” Cloud asked, immediately interested. 

Tifa beamed in excitement. “Tomorrow evening.” 

“….I can’t. I have that training class tomorrow.” Cloud informed unusually fast. Even he was surprised at how instantaneous his response came. 

She shrugged her shoulders. “So just tell Sephiroth you won’t be able to make it. We haven’t gone out together since we moved here and I need to have you all to myself as much as possible before you go off for training….” She uttered in a cutesy, pleading tone.

Cloud stuck to his resolved. “I made a commitment.” 

“Then un-commit!” snapped Tifa, losing her patience.

Even still, Cloud reacted with fixed stubbornness. It was as if nothing could sway him. “If Sephiroth is going to be my General, I have to be in his good favor. I can’t show him that I have the inability to follow through with a decision. I can’t go back on my word. You know that, Tifa. And the class is only once a month. I need to get as much experience and training in as I can right now. This class is really important to me...”

When she realized how futile it was to get her lover to change his mind, she cast her big brown eyes to the ground in miserable silence. Normally, she got her way. It was simple to be able to get Cloud to go along with whatever she planned. Ever since she had known him as her lover, he had always been her easy to please and, in a sense, passive boyfriend. He was an easygoing guy whose primary goal was to make his girlfriend happy. But suddenly she wasn’t able to sway him to do what she wanted. For a split second, Tifa had sensed something peculiar going on with him, but she ignored it as it was so small and short lived that the feeling hardly mattered. Tifa remained silent, merely brushing it off as insecurity and possessiveness. Perhaps she needed to cool off and let her fiancé have a life outside of her as well... 

Cloud could see in the way she held her lips that she was quite upset. Wanting nothing more than to put things to right, he said, “Tifa, do you really want me to cancel? I will if you need me to.”

“No… go ahead. After all, it’s not like wine tasting is that important. You should probably learn as much as you can from Sephiroth since he doesn’t teach those classes often. I will just tell my friends that we won’t be able to make it this time.” Despite her doubts and slight feeling of rejection she smiled and encouraged him to follow through with his plans. 

He was oblivious to her disinclination, although he still felt bad about blowing her plans off. “Okay, thanks Tifa. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Hey Cloud…is there another reason why you want to go to this training class so badly?” Tifa asked, following the strong, precautious feeling of her intuition. 

“No..…why?

“Because you’ve never turned down any of the plans I’ve made before…”

Cloud too, thought his behavior was getting to be quite peculiar. Even he realized that he hadn’t blown off plans until then, until Sephiroth…. Silently panicking, he fished for something in his head that rung close to the truth. He could never truly lie to Tifa. At least he believed that he couldn’t… “I’ve just been so worried about joining the military so late in the game. I want to get promoted as quickly as possible to support you. It’s just a burden that’s been weighing on me, that’s all. I love you, Tifa… I’m sorry about pushing you aside. No matter what, you’re the one who really comes first. You’re the reason why I’m trying so hard.”


	11. Chapter 11

Strangely, during his encounter with Zack and Tifa, Cloud had completely forgotten how badly he needed to use the restroom. Thankful that he was only dropping off lunch for Tifa rather than joining her, he scrambled to find the nearest bathroom the moment they had parted ways. He wasn’t exactly paying attention to where he was when he ran into the first one he saw. Fortunately, it was empty, so he opted to use one of the urinals since he had them all to himself. With a sigh, he unzipped his pants, yanked out the desperate organ and was helpless to the satisfaction he felt the instant warm liquid flowed out of him. Cloud was so caught up in the act of letting it all go, he almost didn’t catch the newcomer. After taking notice of another presence, Cloud looked up. He was mortified. A black coat and silver hair trailed behind the one who, evidently, entered a stall.

Cloud wasn’t sure if the man recognized him or not… He had to have! More importantly, did the General use a stall just for extra privacy or because he needed to defecate? Obviously, the latter put Cloud in an unbearably awkward position even thinking about it. 

However, once a steady, flowing stream of urine was heard, Cloud felt it was safe to assume that Sephiroth was indeed only pissing.

“I’m sorry about last night!” Cloud blurted out finally. Though soon after, he felt embarrassed for bringing it up at such a time. In addition, he questioned whether or not the other man knew who he was talking to and to what he referred. 

Sephiroth was silent, all the while relieving himself.

Cloud finished up and stepped away from the urinal. “I never should have left like that… I feel like an idiot… I think I just panicked. NOT because it was a gay club, but because I had no idea what I was even doing there in the first place. I’m not even into that scene.”

Sephiroth said nothing and the automatic toilet flushed as he emerged from the stall and washed his hands. “I’ll see you at my training class tomorrow, Cloud.” Was all he said before drying his hands with a paper towel and making his way towards both the trash can and exit. He wore an ambiguous smirk that Cloud could not see. 

“Y-Yeah…” Cloud merely muttered. Once again, he was taken aback by how calm and collected the man was at all times, even in a public restroom. He knew not whether the General was neutral or mad, but something about his nonchalant attitude made him want more…

-.-.-.-

The next day after the training class, Cloud found himself quite satisfied with how things turned out. He was most definitely relieved that he hadn’t taken Tifa up on her plans because the class had been far more beneficial than he imagined. 

“I’m pretty glad I came….” He spoke to Sephiroth. “If I keep this up, I’ll have no problem using a sword once I’m in 3rd. I don’t know why they make you start out with rifles.” Cloud went on, feeling rather good about himself and comfortable with his progress following the lessons he learned in the session.

Sephiroth was at his side as they walked from the training room on the SOLDIER floor. “It’s a process, Cloud. That’s how it works here. But I don’t think you will have any problems making the transition. You’re a natural.”

“Maybe… It could have just been my sparring partner. He wasn’t very tough at all... I barely broke a sweat.” The new recruit was quick to downplay his own efforts. 

“I noticed that. Tough or not, you certainly have high reserves of stamina…” He stalled, contemplating his words. It was too tempting not to tease Cloud. “Which is…never a bad thing.” No matter what the blond said, Sephiroth found something to praise him for in light of his lack of experience, self deprecating words and low self esteem. 

Cloud looked over at the taller male, momentarily stunned. “Y-Yeah… I can agree with you there. ” He said, nonetheless. “Too bad my strength doesn’t amount to much right now.” Again, he was downing himself, but it went ignored by Sephiroth.

“If anything, it’s a turn-on.”

These words caught Cloud even more off guard than the last suggestive comment, and he stopped right before they entered the area where the elevators were. “Excuse me?”

Sephiroth halted his steps as well. “Having high stamina is something I look for both on and off the battlefield.”

Cloud almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but this was the same dreadfully cocky, brazen, and almighty General Sephiroth we’re talking about after all. Sometimes, he knew no boundaries, no wrongs, for all that he did was right, and if not right, than tolerated. 

Sephiroth leaned close to the taken man. “In my experience, strength is easier to build than stamina. You can always work out and train to build muscle, but stamina is not built so easily. …I can tell you have a lot of potential. Once you start to train more and get some mako in you, you may bypass your peers and surprise even yourself.”

“You really think so? Hearing that from you really means a lot…”

Their conversation had reached an intermission until they had both made it to the above ground parking garage where Cloud’s motorcycle was. Setting eyes on the rugged transport the blond owned, Sephiroth smoothed a gloved hand over the long seat, admiring its simplistic yet hulking design. “Very nice…” Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have paid the vehicle any mind. Because the motorcycle belong to Cloud, it was worthy of praise…and also worth rubbing the seat.

Cloud grabbed his helmet and goggles on the right handlebar, readying to put them on once they had said their goodbyes. “It’s nothing special. It comes in handy in the city though.”

The silver haired man’s eyes lingered on him for an extended period of time, causing Cloud to use this as a chance to mount the vehicle instead of staring back at the intimidating General. “Maybe next time you will spar with me.” The man finally said. 

The blond found one major flaw in the other’s proposal. Sephiroth was the strongest man in the military and he himself had only just joined. A pro against someone with no experience seemed beyond unreasonable. “Not a chance.” Cloud answered back, feeling as though he was being mocked.

“Why not?” Sephiroth couldn’t see how the offer was so unfair.

“Because…” That was simply the blond’s answer, though vague. He didn’t think it was necessary to go into the already obvious details. 

Sephiroth wore that haughty smirk again. It was that smile that told him he would get what he wanted regardless of what Cloud said right then and there. “Well, I won’t ever make you do anything you don’t want to do.” For whatever reason, it seemed like the General was prolonging their goodbyes, never taking his eyes away from him or initiating the farewell. 

“….I guess this is goodnight.” Cloud announced, finding that wrapping up the night was overdue. 

“If you want it to be…” The General had another motive. There was a suggestive hint clinging to his deep voice and his facial features. 

“Well, I certainly enjoyed myself this evening. I learned a lot. Thank you...” Unsure of what to do or say, Cloud looked down as he was known to do when in Sephiroth’s presence. 

There was meaning behind the silence on his end, reason to why he only remained staring and drawing ever closer. It was to give time for Cloud to watch, think then react to what he was offering him without having to use words. At times, words weren’t effective, sometimes worthless. And so he looked on at the blond, raising a single hand to brush through tamed blond tresses. “….I’m glad. I was hoping that next time it could be just the two of us.” Due to his prior body language, his words held a hidden meaning. Or perhaps they would have held such a suggestive meaning regardless. 

Feeling uncomfortably frozen in place, yet entranced by the man, Cloud found his body shrinking away, darting his eyes in the opposite direction of Sephiroth to break the powerful spell. “…I better get going. G-Goodnight.” 

As Cloud started his motorcycle, Sephiroth stood and watched as he revved up the smoking bike. Soon, the taller man leaned in to whisper so that the blond could hear him over the purring of the engine. “Have sweet dreams...”


	12. Chapter 12

Yuffie shoved a glass high up into the air, a light splash of moscato spilling onto the immaculate white cloth sheathing the table. “Cheers!” She exclaimed, her hand wobbling due to her intoxicated state. She wiggled her wrist; body swaying as she sent everyone seated amongst her a large, goofy grin. “To Tifa and Cloud starting a new life together right here in Midgar!” She crooned unevenly, with a hiccup trailing her sentence. Her flushed cheeks blushing a warm rose. 

Her lover was by her side, a man of Wutai. He found it both awkward and amusing to watch his immature girlfriend speak so loudly and in such a high class restaurant. “Babe….” He addressed her gently, as was his demeanor. 

In this relationship, Yuffie was most certainly the more outspoken one, as she ignored him and held her glass up higher. “Let’s toast!” 

He also thought it odd that she was drunk merely off of moscato.

Tifa laughed, tickled at the younger woman’s refreshing enthusiasm. The busty brunette held up her glass, in response, to lightly tap against hers. “To a new beginning!”

Next, was the other man to raise his glass. “To a new beginning in the city.” He sent the celebrated couple a forthcoming, welcoming smile. 

Cloud simply looked at them awkwardly. It was all he could do to repress a painful smile from his indecisive lips. “It’s not that big of a deal…” Even so, he knocked glasses with everyone in a celebratory toast. He then turned to Tifa, taking her hand in his. 

“I’m so glad I get to start a life here with you...” Tifa spoke first.

The blond lifted her weightless fingers and pressed his soft lips to the back of her hand, a type of gesture he rarely ever did. “Me too, Tifa.” 

“Aw, aren’t they so sweet together?” squeaked Tifa’s drunken best friend as she watched the couple lock lips next. 

Yuffie’s boyfriend smirked, “Yes, very.” 

“Okay, that’s enough… Let’s get dessert.” Tifa quickly brought the dessert menu to her face, covering her flushed cheeks. 

After they spent a while skimming through the brief selection of cakes, mousses and ice cream, a male waiter came to their table to see if they had determined their orders for dessert.

“Uh, you know what? I’m going to have to pass. My girlfriend doesn’t think I need all that fat and sugar.” 

Yuffie slammed her drink down on the table. Luckily, it was almost empty, otherwise it would have spilled tremendously. “That’s right! You’re getting fluffy.” She patted her boyfriend on the tummy. The waiter only grinned, nodding agreeably. “I’ll have whatever she’s having!” Yuffie pointed to Tifa who was helpless to refuse. All Tifa could do was giggle, rather than finish up with her order. 

Cloud didn’t like eating sweet things, so Tifa was the last to go. Her mirth settling down, she looked up at the waiter and saw something in the background worthy of mentioning to all who sat at the table. “Hey, look who it is!” 

They all followed Tifa’s line of sight…

That’s when Cloud saw him again, Sephiroth.

After laying eyes on the man, instantly, his excitement went down while the others’ shot up at the mere sight of the legendary General. His blue eyes merely widened in disbelief. How dare the man show his face in the same place, at such a time? For a reason even Cloud couldn’t fully comprehend, he didn’t want Sephiroth to see him with Tifa. Or rather, he felt like the man would tarnish the sanctity of the relationship with just his gaze alone. Cloud felt he cursed it. He wanted Sephiroth far away from ‘them’.

“Hello.” The General spoke in his velvety voice, the very tone that irked Cloud so much and yet it enticed him in dark, animated ways. Sephiroth had some company in tow, the usual gang from SOLDIER and The ShinRa Electric Power Company. Of course after greeting them, Sephiroth went about his business with his friends, getting seated at a large booth, the lot of them skimming over the menu. 

Cloud’s eyes followed him to the space he would feast, with a helpless and entranced look in his eyes. His attention was no longer ensnared by the woman he was to marry. 

After the brief distraction, Tifa went ahead and ordered their desserts, but it wasn’t long before the beloved General was brought up again. “Man, is it just me, or is Sephiroth getting…cooler?” Yuffie blurted out carelessly, once the waiter had departed. “He doesn’t even seem like one of those girly gay guys you see around. You know, the ones that walk swinging their hips and raising the sound of their voice. He’s just so…manly. Oh, other than the whole hair thing.” 

“Yuffie…” chided her embarrassed lover.

“Whaaat?”

“Sephiroth isn’t like that with his hair is he?” Tifa looked absent mindedly at her fiancé, getting in on the conversation. 

Cloud wore a blank expression before taking a much deserved, long swig of his tall glass of beer. “I have no idea.”

“Well if he does….I think he gets tips from that cute wutainese guy over there with the long hair…” Yuffie looked over at Tseng with dreamy eyes. 

“You think he’s cute….?” Her boyfriend asked possessively. 

“Cute, I didn’t say I wanted to get with him. I just said that he’s…”

“Hm, well I like the one with the red hair that looks like a rock star. If I had to be with a guy, I think he’d be my type…” He looked challengingly over to Yuffie, after speaking of Reno.

Cloud rolled his eyes at the harmless taunts that the two lovers tossed at one another in the name of intoxicated, meaningless banter. He honestly didn’t think it was very funny, teasing your lover about cheating and with the same sex, it was preposterous. 

After their dinner orders were made, Sephiroth got up and sauntered over towards the men’s room, not looking back at anyone, namely Cloud.

Somehow, Cloud had taken that as an invitation to get up and pursue him. After mulling it over for a brief amount of time and staring boldly into the back of the man’s tall, sturdy figure, he got a dazed look in his eyes and looked to Tifa. “I need to use the bathroom.” So he got up and marched crossly over to the other man, failing to catch up with him until they were both within the restroom.


	13. Chapter 13

“What are you doing here?” Cloud interrogated immediately upon arriving in the men’s room. 

Sephiroth was getting ready to wash his hands and paused to face the irritated, irrational blond. “…The same reason why you’re here, I imagine.” He smirked arrogantly, finding humor in the other’s absurd question. 

“Well, it’s a nuisance.” Cloud spat out. Not to mention the constant posse the General seemed to have in tow whenever he went out. But Cloud wasn’t going to get started on his LGBTQ troop. 

The General was aware that he turned heads and most people stopped what they were doing to look at him, but he didn’t see how that harmed Cloud in any way. He didn’t see how him and his friends being there was a problem…. 

“I came here so that I didn’t have to worry about running into you!” Cloud propped his hands on his hips, asserting his uncalled for, if not childish attitude. 

“…and so you follow me here?” The silver haired man pondered aloud. If Cloud didn’t want to see him or be in his presence, why was he there? 

Of course, Cloud had a justifiable answer. “Well, you followed me into the bathroom the other day. I’m not stupid; I know that you would never use just any public bathroom in the ShinRa building. I wouldn’t be surprised if you even had a private one. You followed me for a reason… Now, I’m doing the same thing.”

The ends of the General’s mouth curled up into a twisted grin, “My, aren’t we clever?” He pushed the blond into the stall behind him and closed the door, faster than Cloud could comprehend. “How could I pass up an opportunity to see you exposed…. pissing, no less?” He spoke of the time they were last alone in a restroom together.

Cloud gave him a disturbed look. “Oh, so that’s what you’re into?”

Sephiroth leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Only when it comes to you, Cloud…”

A brisk shiver worked up his spine the moment he felt warm breath against his ear, heard such soft words, and breathed in that sweet fragrance that clung to the other man’s hair. Cloud felt as though he was powerless in the face of Sephiroth when he was so dangerously close. He didn’t know how to respond, what to do, though his body was silently intrigued. His heart pounded in his chest. 

Their exchange was cut short when suddenly the door swung open and the intruder, Zack, spoke in a loud, obtrusive voice. “Hey, General! Just wanted to put you on notice… The manager’s been asking for you. I guess he wants to fondle your balls or something.” The SOLDIER said, being facetious, referring to the way basically all establishments wanted to welcome, or rather kiss Sephiroth’s ass, as their first order of business. 

“Shit…” The man instinctively swore under his breath, and without further thought, he lifted Cloud and hoisted him over his shoulder. Luckily the stalls where tall, so they were unseen and now it was only Sephiroth’s boots that showed at the bottom. “What a pain…” He said aloud, referring to both the eager managers and his annoying colleague bursting into the bathroom at the worst time. Sephiroth had to cover for them somehow, after all, it was his doing that got them both into that situation. As he heard Zack mumble something to himself and wash his hands, Sephiroth did something inconceivable…

“Hey…What are you doing?!” Cloud whispered in a panic, as he witnessed the mere sound of what took place next. 

The General was emptying his bladder. 

“Stop it!” He said in his lowest voice, attempting to get himself free. But Sephiroth was stronger, of course.

“Easier said than done.” Uttered the General, but really, what he was trying to do was protect him. Zack had a big mouth and Tifa didn’t need to find out from him about anything. He was sure that Cloud didn’t want to explain himself either. 

Zack was drying his hands. “It sucks you have to go through that every time you go out.”

“Yeah…” Sephiroth said as the strong stream flowing freely from his tip died down into mere drips. That’s when he heard the other SOLDIER leave. 

Once the door was closed, Cloud jumped back down, unintentionally catching a glimpse of Sephiroth’s exposed lower half. Both his pants and his briefs were lowered, and he had yet to put himself together. 

“I have to go.” concluded the blond, feeling something he couldn’t quite describe. His entire face was red. Sure, he had been upside down and plenty of blood had rushed to his head, but blood had seemed to rush in another direction as well, leaving him aroused, flushed and light headed. “I…I have to go…” He muttered, fretfully.

“Looking like that?” The man said, with eyes stuck on the bulge in Cloud’s pants, poking it with a finger to confirm its state. 

“Then…what do I do?” Cloud asked, jerking when the General nudged at his hardened length.

Sephiroth took what felt like forever, to stuff himself back in his underwear, his pants, only to seal it all behind an expensive belt buckle.

Cloud watched him the entire time, not realizing just how much his body was responding… and it was all due to Sephiroth. Like before, his mind and body were at odds with one another. His body was reacting to Sephiroth in ways he never imagined, wanting and anticipating the possible but dangerous and unknown. That brain of his was telling him to pull away, think about his family, his one and only lover Tifa…while his body was acting in the complete opposite manner, his disloyal member swollen, jutted in the direction of the other man as if attracted to him like a strong, relentless magnet. It was all too much for him to grasp. 

Sephiroth’s next action was unexpected, as he abruptly let himself out of the bathroom stall and headed in the direction of the exit. 

That action alone made Cloud unexpectedly anxious. Distressed, he opened his mouth to call out to him, but Sephiroth merely approached the door rather than used it to leave. 

The General held up his hand up to it.

Cloud peeked out of the stall to witness, with wide eyes, a spell being cast and powerful magic leaving the man’s fingertips. 

“I’ve sealed the door with a spell.” Sephiroth announced, before he turned to Cloud, “I think there’s only one thing you CAN do, now.” And then came that pompous grin, full of knowingness, full of darkness.

“No one comes through the door… until I come, right?” Cloud questioned, attempting to gain clarity, see if they were both on the same page. Deep down inside, he hoped they were. 

“Precisely.” The General folded his hands behind his back and sauntered back over to the stall. “However, the decision is yours to make. I do not wish to force this upon you. I’m merely offering you an opportunity to act on your desires, but the choice is yours alone. I will not hold it against you or retaliate if you decline.” 

It was no surprise that, being a war General, Sephiroth had taken such a concise, diplomatic approach. Yet, somehow it was hard for Cloud to figure out just how to react to such an unusual scenario. The man was like no other… the manner in which he carried himself, the words he used, the way he spoke, it was all very formal, almost gracious. He pondered how one could be both polite yet treacherous at the same time. After all, Sephiroth was Tifa’s so called ‘friend’. How could he seduce her fiancé without hesitation? All thoughts and worries vanished from his mind when the man captured his attention further.

Sephiroth got down on his knees, his hair trailing behind him on the floor as he looked up at Cloud. The almighty General cast a bewitching gaze, one pregnant of desperation, hunger and need. Cloud had never seen the proud man look so…raw, so human. It stunned him. 

“All you have to do… is take it out of your pants….and shove it into my mouth.”

Cloud couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You can use my mouth much like you use…..” The man paused a moment, looking off to the side before a smirk found its way onto his face. “…much like you would use a toilet to relieve yourself.” The look in his eyes only darkened more. “It’s quite simple…just think of me as a hole that you can use to alleviate the pressure that has built up inside you. That’s the reason why one uses the restroom, is it not?” 

“You’re twisted…” Cloud answered, all the while, undoing the button on his pants and yanking down the zipper as if he couldn’t bear to wait a second longer. “But I don’t intend on going that far.”

Of course, as the blond undressed his lower half, Sephiroth reflexively leaned in, his mouth parting, salivating in the anticipation of devouring the delightfully engorged, leaking arousal that sprung forth. The man clearly couldn’t help himself. 

But, contrary to what the General believed was going to happen next, Cloud grabbed Sephiroth by the strands of his hair, stopping him in his advance. He pulled at the other’s scalp unapologetically, wrapping silver strands in his fingers as he held the man back from tasting him. Cloud jerked the other’s head back and wrapped his hand around his own straining body part. He wasn’t going to let the man lay a finger on him. 

Sephiroth let out a sound of both disappointment and pleasure as he watched the moist head being exposed as Cloud pulled back the skin of his penis. “This is torture…” The man whispered, as he watched the sultry exhibition play out. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t pleasure himself or attempt to reach out to Cloud out of respect. He only squirmed, reveling in the bittersweet feeling of watching without touching, without relieving himself or acting on his needs. He was almost afraid to move, so not to disturb Cloud’s rhythm or miss a single beat. Sephiroth stared on with an enchanted, heated gaze as Cloud masturbated. A single, large drop of precum spilled over his knuckles as the blond brought himself closer to the edge. 

Cloud went from shutting his eyes, to staring down at the man’s sensual face for inspiration. Though his eyes had been closed for most of it, he shot Sephiroth a desperate, somewhat helpless look before letting go of his long hair and leaning back against the bathroom stall. “Shit!” He was close. It was apparent just how close when he started twisting his body in pleasure and bucking his hips. He shut his eyes once again, throwing his head back. For reasons even Cloud couldn’t comprehend, all his shyness had gone completely out the window. The only thing that mattered at that moment, the only thing that was important to him, was getting off. 

The General merely sat there, waiting for anything, practically salivating like a ravenous mad dog. 

Cloud thought that he had perfect control over his orgasm, however the second he felt the other man’s hot breath graze over his member, he lost it right then and there. Since they were alone and secured behind an enchanted door, he groaned with reckless abandon. He almost didn’t recognize his own voice after hearing the sounds that were coming out of him. “Ugh….Aaah… Mmm!” He desperately pulled at himself, his eyes shut tight when finally, he came. He painted the General’s face with warm, thick semen. It coated his forehead, his cheeks and clung to his lips. Underneath it all, you couldn’t even make out the expression on Sephiroth's face, couldn’t tell if he was pleased, disturbed or even just surprised. That’s how much Cloud had released. And, since his eyes had been shut, he hadn’t seen the damage until he was through. 

Cloud leaned back, letting out an exhale of exhaustion. He opened his eyes. “S….Sorry.” 

Sephiroth wiped his eyes and gave a nervous chuckle. “Liar.” And the man would be right. 

Cloud didn’t feel remorse for giving him a messy, impromptu facial. He even thought Sephiroth looked better that way. At least he didn’t look so proud anymore… “I’d like to see you again.” The blond confessed, caught up in the moment.

The kneeling General licked a drop of semen from his bottom lip and smirked. “Now, that’s an honest response…”


	14. Chapter 14

“Cloud…” A soft feminine voice cried out feverishly in a dimly lit room.

The curtains were drawn closed, shutting out all the blinking lights and never-ending bustle of the city. Oftentimes, the roaring of trains sounded, cars honked, and ambulances sounded, people shouted and cursed, but behind the gathered drapes, came sounds of an entirely different nature...

“Mnngh…That feels so good…” Tifa’s delicate voice was a pleasant melody above the forceful racket of the creaking of the bed. 

Cloud hung over her soft chest, both his hands were positioned somewhat awkwardly under her shoulders on each side of her as he pounded into her coarsely. “Ti…fa….” He spoke in a broken whisper laden with lust. “My nipples…touch them.” His eyes squinted, face twisted in ecstasy. 

Almost in a state of disbelief at what she was told, she demonstrated the request with her pretty, dainty fingers and took one of the hard buds on his chest and rolled them between her thumb and index finger. “Like this?”

Cloud closed his eyes and moaned helplessly, “Ah, yeah…yeah just like that. The other one…”

When his next request came, she used both her hands to satisfy him. 

He blissfully hummed. “…it really aches when you do that…feels so….good.” Caught up in the rapture the sensations were giving him, he almost didn’t notice her laughing underneath him. He stopped pushing into her lower bits and looked down with half lidded, weary eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…a little gay. You never asked me to do something like that to you before.” She covered her mouth as she giggled, spoiling the mood. 

He then decided that he wasn’t going to proceed with the act until the matter was settled. “I am NOT gay, Tifa…”

She simply couldn’t take him seriously, although he was in fact quite serious. It was always like that. Cloud went about life taking all matters with a grave looking expression on his face, while she had a more humorous, positive outlook on things. “I’m not saying that you’re gay. Obviously you’re not… It’s just that…I wasn’t really expecting you to like that kind of thing. I know gay guys who openly enjoy it… Sephiroth loves nipple play. Hahaha!”

Of course, Cloud didn’t find it very funny. “Do you have to talk about him even while we’re in bed together?” There was no denying it. The member he had plunged up to the hilt inside of her had jolted at the mention of the General. Of course, Cloud tried to disguise the sudden motion by moving in and out of her suddenly. He was reminded of the man’s striking face, moreover the condition his face was in when Cloud had been through with him. Cloud remembered unloading on the famed celebrity General, pulling up his pants and leaving him there…

-.-.-.-

When Cloud returned to his table after consorting with Sephiroth in the restroom, he surprisingly wasn’t met with much questioning after being gone for nearly fifteen minutes. Tifa and Yuffie had been finishing up with their desserts, and when they were finished, Cloud asked for the check. 

“You really don’t have to pay for it. I’ve got this.” Tifa, his main source of support, assured. She knew Cloud wasn’t going to have much money until he began executing his military duties. 

Even so…Cloud still felt a strong sense of duty and pride. He was still a man after all. It made him feel weak to witness his woman pay his way. His lack of funds aside, he wasn’t going to allow himself to be emasculated. It happened often enough as it was… “No, I’ve got this.” He waved her hand full of gil away, reaching for the credit card in his pocket. 

Once the waiter returned to their table, he smiled at the suspicious look Strife sent him after returning empty handed, and said, “I’m sorry, but your meal has already been paid.”

“What?” Cloud was both speechless and pleasantly surprised. Who could have done such a thing? That was an expensive dinner… “The tip and everything?” 

“Yes. …He was very generous. Didn’t Sephiroth tell you?” 

Cloud looked down in thought, cheeks burning in resentment more than anything. What, did Sephiroth think he couldn’t afford a meal of such caliber? Was he worried about the stability of their income just because Tifa was such a close friend? Was he looking down on him? But then there was an infinitesimal part of him that was blushing out of the fact that their messy bathroom exchange likely had something to do with it. Cloud had cum in his face only moments prior after all. The thought angered, confused and turned him on. The man had gotten a facial, taken care of his bill and was now nowhere in sight. Cloud had been left wanting to see him again even more…

-.-.-.-.-

Tifa grabbed onto Cloud’s shoulders to gain some control of her body, “God, what’s got you so wild tonight? You’re usually so gentle and sweet, but I like this change.” 

“…Good.” For a brief moment, even Cloud imagined that perhaps Sephiroth was having a positive effect on the both of them that evening. Tifa didn’t need to know the real reason why he was so hard tonight and so inspired to fuck. Seeing Sephiroth that night ignited something inside of him. The male had lingered in his mind and he couldn’t get him out. As soon as they returned home from the restaurant, Cloud picked up his fiancé and threw her onto their bed. They had been at it with each other for over an hour. 

As his hot, stiff member drove into her relentlessly, stirring up a certain spot inside, Tifa could only let out a sweet moan, roaming her fingers over his back until they settled on his firm ever shifting backside. She squeezed his cheeks as if to draw his body in further. Although, suddenly she grew quiet. “S…sorry for bringing him up. It wasn’t the time or place...”

“Bringing who up?” Cloud purposefully feigned ignorance. 

Unable to speak evenly, Tifa blurted, “Sephiroth…!”

It was only to hear his name again, that he had asked her to reply so specifically, and as he predicted, his body reacted to the simple utterance of it, jerking and pulsating painfully deep inside of her moist heat. “I… forgive you.” He uttered in an unfamiliar, sensual voice as he helplessly ejaculated inside of her. Cloud was out of breath as he pulled off the used condom. That had been their second one that night. But without further ado, the blond initiated another round… “Tifa….let’s try something else.” He suggested, gently tearing her hand away from his stiffened nipples, his rear. Something vicious and heated began to stir up inside of his body and he would not have been able to bring himself to speak of such a thing had he not been in such a feverish state. 

Silently following where he was taking her fingers, Tifa waited to see what he had in mind. 

In one sensual movement, Cloud had taken a delicate, slightly most finger of hers into his mouth and sucked on it like one would a Popsicle. This erotic demonstration fascinated the woman, so she watched in awe and desire. 

“Put them in my asshole… one at a time.” The blond pleaded in a whisper, so sensual it was hard to disobey.


	15. Chapter 15

At first, she was shocked, but even she had been swept up in the unusually blistering lustful fever. “Okay…” Fingers slick with saliva, Tifa crept them down her lover’s muscle entrenched back and slipped one into the unfamiliar territory, feeling him constrict viciously around her and sucking her finger in until soon loosening up. When he was used to the feeling of having her one finger inside, she knowingly began to move it in and out, squirming it around deeper and deeper, testing him.

Cloud buried his head into the pillow resting by her neck and let out a loud moan. Somehow, it was much unlike him to do so. “Uhhhhh….mmm, more.” He rocked against her, relishing the new, pleasurable feeling.

Without agreeing verbally, Tifa complied, adding in another finger. One of the reasons why she was so obedient about the unusual request, was because she wanted to see more of Cloud’s less than normal behavior. He was acting…peculiarly, but something about it was so remarkably arousing and intriguing. She wanted more of this new and unknown side of him. 

“I want you to do me with them…while I do you.” Cloud requested in a low sensual voice as he encased himself with another condom.

Again, Tifa wasn’t going to discontinue the ‘service’. The more she poked and prodded him with her practiced fingers, the deeper and more accurately he aimed at the spot inside her that sent her eyes rolling into the back of her head as he started pummeling into her again. She was slightly relieved that the two of them weren’t making eye contact. 

Little did she know, Cloud wore a much more disgraceful and warped look on his face, one that she could never come close to imitating. Had she seen how badly he was drowning in pleasure just by the excited expression on his face, she would have been stunned speechless at the very least. All she knew was that he was going wild on top of her, riding her like an instinct driven beast, not taking any intervals to adjust his position or kiss and embrace her. Everything was done with one objective in mind: to orgasm. 

It was a gentlemanly habit of his to always allow her to cum before he did, but that night, the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. As she stuffed his insides over and over, churning everything up in the heated, clenching hole, Cloud let out a choking sound, while quickening the speed of his hips, a feat Tifa had already decided was impossible. 

“Are you cumming?” His lover asked, always with the futile anticipation of feeling his warm seed fill her.

“Soon….” 

There was something about the way he spoke that made her regret asking. It was almost as if Cloud didn’t want to hear her questioning him while he was in such a deep, meditative, almost drone like state. It was as if she had bothered him, interrupted him even. That insulting response of his drove her to scratch the two nails she had in his body, relentlessly grazing against his innards. She could be ruthless when she wanted to be. No one, not even Cloud mistreated or disgraced her. 

However, the action only stirred him up more. “Aahhh, Tifa…..Right there! Haahhh Mmm…!”

She turned her head to observe his external reaction rather than just feeling it. Her view had improved the second Cloud pulled out of her and released into the overly stretched, unrelenting condom. He rested his heavy length between their bodies and helplessly poured out everything that he had. 

Thick loads of semen spurted every time she nudged his prostate, his cock twitching with each burst. He didn’t even require his own hand to make himself ejaculate. 

The act simply fascinated Tifa. Though she had not reached climax, or had her lover acknowledge her lack of height in satisfaction, she looked up at the desperate expression on his face and could tell something was quite off about her once mild and reserved farm boy. There was a change in him and not one entirely for the better.

And then, without hesitation, Cloud peeled off the used condom. However, he did not reach for another like he had after their prior round. 

“What? Are you sure?” Tifa checked, assuming they were to engage in unprotected intercourse. Otherwise, her lover would have lain down next to her to go to sleep. Instead, he was kneeling over her, still gazing with a look of deep lust.

Cloud simply whispered, “Hold your legs open…” 

Surprised by that same unusual cold tone of voice, she did as she was told. 

Meanwhile, he lowered himself down on the bed. 

Tifa knew what was to proceed next. She closed her eyes, but rather than feeling his tongue against her swollen ornament, she felt the familiar wet object flicker against the hole that was further down. “Wait….wha….uhh….mmm.” Tifa had stopped before she could even form a sentence as she experienced a warm dampness devour her lowest area. Cloud had never even licked her twat as passionately as he licked her asshole. It was almost distasteful the way he devoured her… But to think that Cloud, her Cloud, normally so apathetic, quiet, dopey and polite, was licking her asshole like a mad dog created a mental arousal so profound that she couldn’t bring herself to stop him. 

“Do you feel it in your pussy?” His head perked up to vulgarly inquire about the sensation he was giving her.

Just slightly she shook her butt about, unable to put an accurate description together of what she felt. “Does that….look like…my pussy, you asshole?!”

Cloud only laughed, “….I didn’t know you could turn into such a slutty bitch who slobbers and squirms while getting her ass licked…”

In the moment, she didn’t care how indescribable and ambiguous the feeling, she pushed his head away. Something she had been thinking to do since he had gone down there. “…making fun of me?” Tifa said breathlessly.

“It’s okay if I talk dirty to you in bed, right?” 

When such a smooth sensual purr reached her ears, she could only wonder if she was supposed to accept the playful, if not disrespectful verbal treatment. Cloud never once called her out of her name no matter how caught up they got in the heat of the moment. “Do what you want.” She told him with a weak, partly rebellious look. After all, those words didn’t mean anything. 

As instructed, Cloud indeed did as he wanted, even if it meant crossing the line of his lover’s preferences in bed. 

“You’re not getting in there, if that’s what you’re thinking…” Tifa informed whilst a menacing look crossed her face. The soft, moist tongue previously sopping her up down there had been replaced with one of Cloud’s stocky fingers. Every time he inched the finger in further, she edged herself away. The feeling was unbearable. It was impossible to think that with the girth of his length the feeling would be any resemblance to pleasure. 

Cloud’s actions failed to heed her warning and he crept his finger in further. 

After years of her boyfriend obediently doing everything she pleased, Tifa got a terrible gut feeling as he went against her word. Before he could submerge the finger in any deeper, Tifa instinctively swung a right hook down at Cloud. Her limbs moved on their own. There was no thought involved, just emotion and instinct. She didn’t enjoy anal stimulation and couldn’t believe that her fiancé was forcing her. 

Cloud took the blow like nothing more than that of a little pinch on one of his burly arms. As if not feeling any pain at all, or even taking her warning under the slightest consideration, he stretched her legs back and pried them further apart before settling in between them. It was as though he were under some kind of spell, a trance. On a mission, he immediately grabbed onto Tifa’s wrists to keep her hands from flailing and forced them back, pressing them to the sheets.

She was unable to move. Part of her paralysis stemmed from shock. She was experiencing firsthand her boyfriend of four year’s true strength. Cloud had never so much as yelled at her. “You can’t be serious…” Tifa looked up at him like he was crazy. 

Like before, he did not respond and instead his actions communicated his intentions to her. 

Only, before he had gotten any further, Tifa broke free of his hold and this time managed to throw an unsteady fist at his nose. “GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!!!”


	16. Chapter 16

Cloud’s body staggered to the side when he received the harsh blow. He recoiled back and off of her as new strikes rained upon him. With no resistance, he took a jab in the stomach, a kick in between his legs and another in the shin. When the blows had ended, he was left with a dull ache from top to bottom. He kneeled down on the bed, crouching, collecting his sanity, his senses and thoughts. Just what had he been doing to Tifa? As he asked himself the baffling question, his eyes stared widely, yet blankly into the darkness, scanning, searching, yet not finding… He didn’t have an explanation. “I’m…..I’m…..so sorry, Tifa….!” He was wrapping his arms around himself, fingers digging into his flesh in self-loathing. “I….I didn’t mean to do that with you. I could never…”

“What’s going on with you?!” She shouted in anger, frustration. Since they had moved there, she started noticing a change in him. His actions were unpredictable, erratic. She could no longer predict him, understand him. Nothing about him made sense, he was more depressed than the usual and he treated her coldly. 

Neither trembling nor sobbing, Cloud simply held onto himself and looked down, blankly into dark shadows. He was putting the pieces together in his mind, the answers about why he had done what he did… “…I….don’t know.” 

It was then she truly grasped the extent of his dilemma. For the first time, she witnessed for a moment, insanity flash in her lover’s lost blue eyes, eyes calling so desperately for something, anything, and anyone for help. She just didn’t know what it was he needed. She didn’t have his answers to guide him, but she understood how serious it was. Having no other choice but to gaze out into their dark room at his unstable, broken expression, she listened to him. 

“All I know is that… You have everything figured out… You have a decent job at ShinRa. You’re closer than you’ve ever been to opening up your bar… You want to get married and have children… You have your dreams… and I’m… not quite sure what I’m doing in this city. I can’t keep up with you... Even though everyone tries to make me feel better, I know that I joined the military late and I’m behind for my age. I have literally nothing in common with the locals here. Everyone is gay, really outgoing or rich. I still need to get you a better ring…. I need to provide for you and take care of you, give you everything that you deserve, but no matter how much I pound that into my brain, I feel that with every day that passes by, I’m falling behind…. My pride can’t withstand you surpassing me! But even with that being said… I’m completely useless…”

After coming so far, of course Tifa would never want to admit that they were drifting apart, longing for different things in life, going down their own paths at their own pace. Never would she like to come to the realization that perhaps they weren’t right for one another. Even if with each day that came and went in their new surroundings, the odds of a break up became more of a possibility. Why now, of all times? Tifa could only wonder if it something to do with the neighborhood and city life…. “But I thought you were doing better. You got into the military. You even made a couple of new friends. Sephiroth seems to really like you. Didn’t you make progress with him today…?”

Cloud intentionally cut her words off at the mention of Sephiroth and ‘progress’. “It’s more complex than that, Tifa.” He felt they shouldn’t have been used in one sentence. “I just feel like I need to find something and I won’t be right until I do. It’s to the point where I’m overwhelmed with frustration and anxiety.”

“Well, don’t take it out on me in bed. I’m not the bad guy.” Tifa shot back at him, feeling at odds about how to comfort her troubled lover. She always had to offer him words of comfort and positivity, always coddle him when he felt vulnerable. There were seldom times when he comforted her, or perhaps it was simply because she never needed to be. This helpless, hopeless attitude of his was starting to wear on her nerves. She’d soon run out of ideas. 

Feeling her frustration whilst a throbbing pain worked through his face, due to Tifa’s strongest hit, he planted a palm down on the sheets to help shift himself over to sit up next to her in the king size bed. “I know. Sorry...I really am sorry.”

Somehow, she craved more than a simple apology and cursed Cloud for being so ignorant in the art of romance. But, as usual, she felt bad for him and melted at his baby blue eyes. “Sorry for hitting you.” Tifa said in a little voice, feeling compelled to give an apology as well. 

Cloud instantly shot it down, “No, I deserved it.” 

“Mm, maybe a little.” She choked out a laugh. “I wonder what made you want to do that though. Of all things…” Her gaze dropped to the sheets covering her lilly white legs, pondering the thought. Much like Cloud, Tifa had been raised a conservative, reserved life in the countryside. As a result, she had grown up relatively sheltered. She never quite understood the point of anal intercourse and had no interest in exploring the topic. Cloud, on the other hand… wasn’t as foreign to the act. The very second Tifa had opened her mouth to question him further, a muffled buzz sounded in the darkness. “Who’s that calling you this late at night?”

Cloud’s blue eyes instantly darted to his phone and its illuminating screen. “It’s only nine.” Quite relieved that the phone call had interrupted the flow of their conversation and where it was headed, he bent over, holding his stomach and bearing the aching pain in his other parts to collect the vibrating device. “Hello? ….Sephiroth?” Cloud said, knowingly alerting Tifa of the caller’s identity. His heart leapt at the deep resonation of his voice and a feeling of anticipation and fear washed over him. He was happy, but most evidently anxious. 

The woman in his company reacted coldly by turning over in the other direction and swinging the covers over her shoulder, clearly displaying an attitude. It was starting to seem like Sephiroth was the one person who could get between their personal time. However, she only brushed it off as mere coincidence, knowing that Cloud really had no control over Sephiroth calling him. The General was a remarkably important asset in both their lives. She understood why he had to answer. 

Cloud disregarded her emotionless reaction and walked into the hallway, all painful sensations completely void of his body as his mind focused solely on who was on the other line. 

“I hope I’m not encroaching upon you’re…private time.” Sephiroth purred on the other line, though he couldn’t care less if they had been screwing each other…

Cloud looked behind him to see if Tifa was listening. “No, I was just…I… guess I owe you a thank you…for paying it forward. You really shouldn’t have—” 

“Ah, but I should have. With that being said, I should be the one thanking you.” His lips curled up into a devilish grin, tickled at the playful, ridiculous words Cloud inspired him to speak. 

Cloud was dumbfounded. “….For what?” He questioned just to be certain, although he was quite positive what the other male was so thankful for. 

“Oh, don’t be coy…”

With those words, Cloud knew for sure what he meant. Feeling as though the conversation could take a turn for the worst, the blond groaned worriedly and marched out into the living room. He didn’t exactly know how to respond after the matter had been brought up. 

“I got to see something…extraordinary.” The other man spoke again, his deep voice emanating from the speaker, sending chills down the blond’s spine. His tone had changed, gotten lower, more sensual.

Clouds stopped in his tracks, wondering if he heard the man correctly. He had been shamelessly masturbating. There was nothing extraordinary about it. 

And yet the man continued to indulge his new playmate. “I decided that I would like to take you up on your offer….of meeting again…”


	17. Chapter 17

Cloud sat across from the General feeling out of place in his new surroundings. Just the other night, he, Tifa and her friends had gone to a fine dining restaurant, but what Sephiroth had in mind for him that night was an upscale venue in a completely different league. The many utensils on the table baffled Cloud and the china sparkled as though it had been polished to perfection. The menu in his hand was limited to just a few dishes and it read out as if in a foreign language. There were words splayed out before him that he couldn’t recognize. Embarrassed that he couldn’t comprehend what he was to eat, he looked to the older man in frustration. “What kind of stunt are you trying to pull, bringing me here? …Trying to impress me?”

The haughty grin on Sephiroth’s face was enough to confirm his suspicions. “I am…and it’s working.” 

There was no way Cloud could deny it. Indeed, he was impressed, but he was also anxious about being in the midst of such opulence. He felt as if he was underdressed. He felt guilty that the General thought that he had to go to such lengths just to get in his seduce him. Truthfully, he didn’t. They could have eaten at any brewery, bar or diner and Cloud would have still been intent on following through with that evening…. He had already decided. After coming this far, he truly realized how committed he was to the idea. 

Even so, his heart pained him when he thought of the peaceful, trusting smile Tifa showed him last night…

-.-.-.-

Tifa hadn’t been tucked in and asleep. She stayed up until Cloud had gotten off the phone with Sephiroth.

“We’re going to have dinner tomorrow night.” He told her. 

“Really?” At this, she turned around and even sat up straight. 

Guilt and fear lay in his tired face, however it was difficult to make out in the dark, “We don’t have plans, do we? If we do, I can reschedule with him…” Of course, he felt the need to cover his own behind before rushing into another man’s arms. “Or I could just cancel if you want to spend more time together, Tifa…!” 

“Oh, no, go ahead.” Her response was calm and unsuspecting, unlike how Cloud imagined how she would react. 

Even so, Cloud felt the need to explain himself further. “We were just going to meet up and talk about the military and combat, nothing big. But Tifa… I think I should call him back and tell him that we need to spend some more time together...”

“You know I work tomorrow night. I don’t mind if you go.” 

Cloud hesitated, then finally said, “Okay… I’ll come home as soon as we’re through.” He assured her. 

“Oh, but you guys are probably going to go out drinking, right? Don’t worry about rushing home too fast. Enjoy the evening and take your time.” She sent him a genuine smile. “You were just telling me of all your troubles. Not having anything in common with anyone, feeling isolated…. wasn’t that one of them? I really am glad that you’re getting along with Sephiroth so well, I really am. You have someone else other than me to count on. I mean it, you two have a lot of fun. I’ll be here when you get back.” 

The more Tifa spoke, the more he felt guilty for an act that had yet to happen, or rather, an act that had halfway happened. And in a restroom stall, no less. 

Cloud was silent the rest of the night. He slipped in bed beside her and watched her fall asleep. All the while, he was thinking about him… Cloud had been thinking that he just wanted to sleep with Sephiroth, that was it, nothing more. He didn’t think himself gay, just curious. He just wanted to know what sex between men was like, and he had a feeling that the desire would simmer down if he got it just once from the man. To do it just once with Sephiroth, was all he needed. It was something he had to do to see if he’d be completely satisfied being with Tifa and only her. This was something he knew he should figure out before they got married. For the life of him he swore he would tell her the truth, no matter what the outcome. Cloud knew that he owed it to himself to explore this side of himself before making such a huge commitment such as tying the knot. After all, he prepared to end things with Tifa if events took a turn for the worse.

-.-.-.-

The restaurant’s most refined waiter found his way to their table and instantly recognized the General. From then on out, they carried on familiarly as though Sephiroth was a regular. His visit wasn’t complete until the manager had come to greet the important military figure as well. 

As the three of them carried on with smiles, witty jokes and empty formal banter, Cloud set the ineligible menu down and looked off at his surroundings. He most certainly didn’t belong there. Everything just felt so…fancy. Examining the unusually submissive and cooperative behavior of the waiter and manager, Cloud had deduced that Sephiroth was known well by the staff in this restaurant as well. The man couldn’t catch a break. Sephiroth was a figure that people fought to see in person, stand next to even and talk to if they were lucky enough. Everyone wanted the General’s attention and good graces…but the man wanted Cloud. The thought wildly excited the blond…

The three men’s conversation ended soon enough however. The manager excused himself as the waiter asked them what they would like to drink for the evening. That was when Sephiroth intervened, cutting in with his own suggestion for what wine they were to order. Cloud was glad though because he hadn’t the slightest notion of what to get. Everything on the menu made him nervous because it was so expensive. 

Immediately after the vintage was ordered, the waiter’s eyes glimmered, a tell tale sign that the libation cost a great amount of money. And if the meal and drinks added up to a large sum, then he was practically guaranteed a considerable tip. Before long, the man waiting on them was back to pour the delicate drink in tall glasses. The server was probably making Sephiroth’s orders a priority because he came back rather fast despite the accumulating crowd. The gentleman proceeded to inform them of the specials of the day, their description and every detail, followed by inquiries of what they would like to have that evening. Sephiroth ordered for the both of them once more, before Cloud could even open his mouth. The waiter bowed courteously, collected their menus with tactfulness and grace, and scurried off into the direction of the kitchen. This was the beginning of their five course meal. 

A little ways into the evening, and a few glasses later…

Cloud took yet another gulp of the outrageously priced wine. “Why are you doing all of this for me? I’m thankful…but it might be a bit much.” The unfamiliar taste of the fine wine and food were a constant reminder of how overboard his date was going. Yes, this was a date and Cloud was clearly the one who was inevitably being swept off his feet. He wasn’t so sure how he felt about it, but it had become difficult to successfully evade Sephiroth’s advances and techniques. Before he even realized it, he had been hoisted into a powerless, obedient position where he had no other choice but to sit and accept. With every sip of the foreign wine, every bite of the delicacy lining his plate, guilt rose up, yet still he swallowed. Cloud accepted everything because deep down inside, he enjoyed it. He liked it so much that the guilt of not knowing if he could pay Sephiroth back, be it with his body or money, didn’t matter. The guilt of knowingly cheating on Tifa by having an extravagant dinner with another man who had an interest in him didn’t influence him enough to leave either. 

“I once took Tifa out to dinner…” Green coated eyes fixed onto the bubbling glass at his fingertips as he dodged the question. He was almost done his third helping and before it was down to the last drop, their waiter came to fill it up once more. “This was before you moved in with her. She told me that she was lonely and didn’t want to have dinner alone. I took her out to a nice place, not as extravagant as this, but quite out of her price range at the time. We enjoyed good food, good conversation, and then we went home….our separate homes of course.” The General laughed briefly at the preposterousness of how going home with Tifa sounded. 

Cloud listened on, with a burning curiosity as to what the man was getting at. 

“I did it because Tifa is a friend of mine. And as a friend, it is her place to accept my gifts no matter how generous or lavish, besides the fact that she deserves it. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

“Yeah…” Along with his reply came a feeling of self doubt. Cloud didn’t think he deserved such special treatment even if Sephiroth did call him a friend, yet he didn’t dispute it. That would be discourteous. Instead, his thoughts drifted to Tifa. “I couldn’t agree with you more though… She does deserve it….” He took on a gloomy expression. “She’s kind hearted, strong, ambitious, charming, unbelievably caring, sexy… I’d give her the world if I could. …I need to start with giving her a nicer engagement ring.”

“I have never once heard Tifa complain about the size of her ring.” Finding humor in his next words, he lifted the corners of his lips and took one long sip of champagne, this was a newly opened bottle to pair with their dessert. “If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that you’ve got something she thinks compensates well for ALL of your shortcomings.” 

“And what’s tha—” 

Underneath the tablecloth, hidden from the public eye, Sephiroth extended his arm out to the other until he met with his lap. The General was soon kneading his crotch. 

Cloud flinched and uttered a small gasp immediately upon contact. Though it was only through his pants, he was quite apprehensive at the prospect of being fondled in public… “Why would she tell you something like that?” He sent the General a look that expressed his vexation at the fingers molesting his privates. Cloud had a feeling that Sephiroth would have committed such a bold act even if there was no cloth covering the table, considering how far up his ass the staff was. They’d overlook it if the General pissed in the front fountain. 

“I believe Tifa refers to me as her ‘Gay Best Friend’, so of course we talk about everything, especially sex.” Sephiroth informed, the palm of his hand still planted firmly in the other’s nether regions. 

The frown on the blond’s face intensified. “Well, if you’re such best friends, and correct me if I’m wrong, ….but why are you trying to seduce me? Are you REALLY her friend? How is it okay that we’re even here!?” Finally, the silently unspoken of question was asked. 

With a stern look fixed in place on his features, Sephiroth remained silent, eventually removing his hand from the other’s lap. He merely stared at the cross blond for an uncomfortable amount of time. “This isn’t permissible… absolutely not.” Unexpectedly, he agreed. “Given the circumstances, I suppose one could call me a dishonorable friend. I acknowledge that. But the reality is…” The General paused and contemplated his next words, wondering if they might be too much for the other. “From birth until the day we die, we are all given the freedom to choose our own code of morals. That is why religion is optional. You see, religions harbor a code of ethics and morals. When you settle upon one based on ongoing tradition in your family, or by some influence or another, essentially you are deciding upon what sort of guidelines you would like to live your life by. However, there are those who choose not to be bound by the stifling rules of any faith. Those that walk their own path and decide what is right for themselves, not right by some book, priest or mythical belief.” The way that he spoke, you could tell that he spoke of himself. Sephiroth was a motherless prodigy, a genius with… questionable upbringing. Of course he had divested himself of all religion. He had every right to. “…They say that it is a sin to cheat within a monogamous union between two people…. but I don’t consign myself to such beliefs. On the contrary, and I won’t divulge why, but I don’t believe I’ve done anything wrong.”


	18. Chapter 18

It was an unspoken fact that Sephiroth wanted what belonged to Tifa, yet still he went on professing their close friendship, that he wasn’t doing anything wrongfully. Still, he sat there undressing her fiancé with his eyes. To say that he wasn’t doing anything wrong was an understatement, according to Cloud. So, why did Sephiroth not think so? The most confusing part was that the mysterious General harbored those two contrasting beliefs; that he cared about Tifa, but wished to conquer what was hers. Clearly, the two circumstances could not exist beside one another. 

Cloud couldn’t discern whether it was the truth or not, simply because the insane man’s logic was proving to be incomprehensible. Sephiroth must have been mad if he thought that going behind Tifa’s back wasn’t an act of betrayal… and yet… there was one thing Cloud knew for sure. It was that Sephiroth was a highly intelligent individual. If even his words didn’t make sense, Cloud knew that there was a perfectly plausible reason behind his actions and words. The man mystified him, enchanted him even. Cloud wanted to study him closely, as close as possible to get to the bottom of this. He yearned to gain insight to his thoughts and feelings. That was the only way he could start to understand him. 

“Maybe…we’ll continue that topic later?” It was more of a statement than a question, and he said so with a bit of trepidation. Hoping that he hadn’t ruined the mood, Cloud spoke again. “…So what else has she told you about me? I know she probably tells you everything.” Cloud prepared himself to hear the worst.

“Nothing…notable.” This was a small, if not harmless lie. Tifa told him much more than was necessary. Though, Sephiroth continued his explanation without delay. “…mainly that you tend to get depressed and doubt yourself, even hate yourself. She said that you go into deep depressions, and sometimes, go off for long periods of time without letting her know where you are and when you’ll be back. She….hates it when you make her worry.” Somehow, he found it difficult to divulge that detail. “She would often contact me whenever that happened. It seems I was able to placate her.” 

Cloud only responded with a long sigh. There were those times when he’d get so caught up and consumed by disdain for his own self, that being around Tifa made him feel even more of a failure since she was so confident, mentally sound, and an all around happier person. He didn’t want to bring her down to his low level, so the best thing he knew he could do was get away from her until he was in a better state of mind. Even so, he never told her exactly why he went off. Cloud wasn’t the best with words. That’s why Tifa usually just ended up interpreting him to the best of her capabilities, even if it was hit or miss. 

“Cloud.” Said Sephiroth, his tone serious and commanding. “If you ever get depressed again, I want you to get in touch with me.” 

“But—“ He started, yet was cut off by that assertive voice. 

“You won’t bring me down, or be a bother. I’ll make you feel….better.” 

Not sure how to respond, Cloud looked down and gave a short response. “Fine…” There was something about the way that Sephiroth spoke that made him feel safe. It was as though the man possessed the answers to all his problems. He was steadily becoming addicted to that secure feeling, wanting to do no more than rely on such a powerful, sound man. Nevertheless, the blond engaged in the conversation further, shaking off that sudden affectionate feeling that had washed over him. “So, you mean she hasn’t told you any, uh… weird stuff?” He knew he had to be drunk in order to ask such a question. At the back of his mind, he kept thinking that the prospect of the General knowing certain facts and details about him, especially the sexual ones, was a little unfair, if not creepy. What else did he know? How much had Tifa allowed herself to reveal? Was Sephiroth secretly laughing at him behind his back whilst his fiancé regaled the man with embarrassing stories about him behind his back? There were many things he never wanted anybody to know about him and yet his fiancé knew because they slept, ate and cohabited together. Such secrets could possibly be at this man’s mercy. Cloud wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with that, or rather, he wasn’t sure if he was alright with the uneven playing field. Sephiroth might have known secrets about him, but he had yet to know the true General. 

Sephiroth possessed an odd smirk. “Why Cloud….do you suggest I divulge the private things my dear friend and I have talked about in confidence?” 

Cloud suddenly got aggravated. It was probably just frivolous ‘girl’ talk anyway. “Nevermind.”

“I will tell you something….rather peculiar.” Sephiroth spoke, after a bit of a pause. 

Cloud perked up. “What? Tell me…”

“Whenever Tifa would talk about you, I always got somewhat… aroused…. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

Cloud didn’t know how to react at first. But when he imagined the things Tifa may have told him in confidence, his cheeks flushed deeply. He looked away in embarrassment. Just what had been discussed between those two? “She must have been telling you some pretty interesting things.” 

Sephiroth merely laughed. Little did Cloud know… the General meant exactly what he said. For he became aroused ALL the times Tifa brought up her lover, sexually or otherwise. However, his blond target needn’t be aware of it. 

In the next hour, they finished their courses and departed the restaurant, the both of them quite inebriated by then. 

Sephiroth guided them on a backroads walk, blocks away from LOVELESS Avenue, where they wouldn’t be seen. 

To where they were headed, Cloud didn’t know, he simply followed. He watched fine strands of silver locks ripple in the air as the angelic General sauntered slightly ahead of him. Even outside of his military duties, the man seemed to naturally take the lead and charge forth, taking the reins of the situation. Cloud didn’t mind this view behind him. He didn’t mind the smell either, for Sephiroth smelled sweeter and cleaner than any man Cloud had ever met. 

Of course, there were onlookers, the few people they did pass on their silent little stroll. Some stopped them. Some even tried to engage the famous General, but he insisted that they were assessing an urgent matter, though they were in off duty attire. Sephiroth was still pretty much in uniform if it weren’t for the shirt he had on in place of his usual cloak. 

It wasn’t until they had reached a secret door behind the ShinRa building, that Sephiroth had led them to an elevator. There had been a powerful, heated and sexually energized atmosphere surrounding the two men up until they made it to the top of the building were the elevator stopped. 

They had been brought to the rooftop. The doors rolled open and a brisk gust of wind hit them. 

Cloud was speechless. The architectural details and designs on the buildings around them harbored a whimsical, steampunk, almost rustic beauty. The aromas of restaurants grilling and frying mixed with caustic gases from nuclear power plants greeted his nose. The air was thick there. A perpetual smog hung above them. Naturally, when he looked out into the distance he could see just how high up they were, just how frightening and exhilarating it all was. To someone who was raised in a small farm town and lived a life in shelter, these sights and smells baffled and amused him in a way no local could understand.

Unphased by their new surroundings, Sephiroth walked up close to the edge of the building and crossed his arms behind his back, looking up longingly at the full moon. “…This is where I come when I can’t take it anymore…”

“Can’t take what anymore?” The blond made it to his side after taking one look around the place. 

He sighed as if he didn’t want to say. “…The pressure of being owned by a corporation.”

Having only a slight understanding of Sephiroth’s situation, he asked, “Owned?” 

“Yes, owned. Without me, they wouldn’t have such a high success rate when it comes to difficult missions and tasks. Out of the three other 1st Class SOLDIERs, I’m the one they rely on the most. I was also born into ShinRa, steadily groomed into a war machine since birth. I have a lot riding on my success. Everyone has high hopes for me when things are disastrous. I can’t be anything less than perfect….which means that I have limited freedom. Looking out into the city, the barren wasteland before it, makes me think about true freedom…freedom to exist outside of a wall, freedom to venture out where I please for however long I want, even forever, without having to report back at a certain place within a certain amount of time.” 

Somehow, seeing Sephiroth like that, so open and honest, was light-years better than seeing him how he usually was. Stern, sardonic, cold. It was endearing to see the man so human all of a sudden. Even so, Cloud felt as though the man was going on a tangent, yet again. He didn’t want the conversation to steer into such a serious direction. “So, why did you bring me here?” The reason why Sephiroth came there alone was made clear, but why had he brought another, and why him? Cloud was no idiot, so he had an idea why, however he didn’t possess the confidence or the courage to make the first move. 

Those green eyes found their way to him. “Much of this space is never consistently occupied and only authorized personnel are allowed access here.” His eyes remained on the blond for an uncomfortably long amount of time. 

Cloud gazed back at him, yearning to know what he was going to say. He knew… Deep down, he knew based on the sensual look he was sent. That hadn’t been the first time Sephiroth had given him that look either. He walked up to the man so that they were side by side at the edge of the roof where only a meager wall protected them from falling stories down. 

“I brought you here so that we would be alone, Cloud. …Now that we’re alone, is there anything you want to do?”

Cloud was palpably self-conscious. “Are you going to make me say it?”

“No, Cloud.” Sephiroth whispered sweetly into his ear after the other had bashfully turned his head away from him. “You don’t have to say anything at all.” Acting upon Cloud’s unspoken, adulterated thoughts, Sephiroth unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the ground. Normally, such a clean, elegant man would never throw his fine attire on a soiled floor, but at that moment, an urgent lust fuel his actions. The more experienced General continued to take the lead. He closed the distance between them, reaching out to Cloud, yanking at his belt buckle in a forceful attempt to get the beautiful blond up against him. “I won’t bite….” Sephiroth assured. “At least not yet.” 

Cloud shivered in the man’s arms, feeling himself getting turned on already. He was obviously no match for the other’s advances. His knees buckled as soon as a warm palm grabbed his hardening length through his pants, soon stroking him firmly. As he predicted, Sephiroth knew exactly how to tease him. “You…don’t waste any time, do you?” Cloud’s breathing was starting to get heavier. 

“Frankly, I think we’ve squandered enough time.” Those emerald, feline eyes suddenly grew cold. Not an ounce of playfulness or sarcasm was left on his face. His intent was so evident that it practically frightened Cloud. The General had truly given him the look of a predator. “I couldn’t wait to touch you like this…” Sephiroth murmured in a low euphoric purr. Those long, slender fingers were now inside the other’s boxer briefs, exploring the new, warm space. 

Cloud held his breath as he allowed Sephiroth to tenderly pull the skin back covering his enflamed, sensitive head. It was beginning to seep clear, slick juices already. Unable to contain his pleasure, the blond threw his head back, an unexpected moan leaking out as he was fondled. 

Sephiroth used that as an opportunity to kiss him. He shoved his tongue in his mouth as the blond moaned and was met with much enthusiasm as Cloud hungrily sucked on him. Though, even that seemed like it was too much for Cloud, and he pushed Sephiroth away. 

“Change of heart?” Sephiroth was mindful that Cloud might get cold feet, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t bother him were he to reconsider. To come so far and not get his prize… it was enough to make any man want to commit rape, either that, or just give up. But Sephiroth was smart and calculative. He doubted he would do either if he stuck to his better judgement. 

“No….actually.” 

Sephiroth let out a subtle sigh of relief that Cloud picked up on. 

“It’s just… what should we do… about roles?” 

“How delightful….” Sephiroth let out a chuckle. “I have the answer right here.” He fished out a piece of plastic in his back pocket. “These magnums should fit you. If not, I don’t mind doing it raw. Either way… don’t worry yourself with thoughts of ‘pulling out’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Should Cloud use a condom, or no condom?! Let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading!
> 
> I’m actually interested in creating interactive fanfiction material, fanfiction that you can interact with, so to speak, and decided what direction the story takes. Like, a VISUAL NOVEL. Let me know your thoughts on that! Thanks again!


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